He could have said, "For being a slave is nothing, and being a freedman is nothing, but keeping the commands of God is everything." So I command in all the churches. Seek to follow the Lords leading but remember this number one priority. Our sermon ideas on 1 Corinthians will help you preach a powerful message on sound conduct and doctrine within the church. So, as a church we are not separated as this holy huddle that is kept away from all peoples everywhere. This is my rule in all the churches. They were called into a relationship with Jesus Christ from the midst of a sinful culture. 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. 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. If you are Mexican, don't try to become American; if you are American, don't try to become Mexican. Paul could have given the very same theological reason for this position as he did in verse 19. You dont need an objective ruling, you need illumination. Rather, he simply meant that in terms of a saving relationship with God through Christ, those things are not what is important. Notice verse 17, "Let everyone lead the life which the Lord assigned to him, and in which God has called him." So in answer to their question, he told them no. Literally verse twenty says, each one in the calling in which he was called, in this let him remain. Here is the closest place that Paul uses calling in the way that we usually mean it, our responsibilities, our vocation, the assignments that we have in life. The Bible tells us that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:7). Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. 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. Understand that ancient slavery, the kind that Paul was familiar with at this time, was very different than the kind of slavery that was practiced in the United States until the Civil War. Never mind. As Richard Hayes writes, To be the slave of a powerful master could be an honorable station. In the last analysis, nothing else will matter but that. But if you translate it as a command to seek freedom, the true point of the passage is obscured. First, I believe we should learn to be confident in Gods call for us. We dont need to be so concerned with what we are getting out of life. a- Paul at this time is single. 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." 18Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called (vv. We know this not only because of the exceptions Paul allowed to his principle here in 1 Corinthians 7 (cf. 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). We pray that if there are some who do not know Jesus Christ that you would right now be working in their hearts. 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 Paul is telling us assignments in which we are called to abide as we wait for the full fulfillment that Jesus is calling to. "So brethren," Paul concludes in verse 24, "In whatever state each was called, let him remain with God." We are anxious about so many things, but our Heavenly Father knows that we need all of these things. 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. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. 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. The Bible is an objective word; and it speaks objectively to some situations.There are other situations that are subjective. I think Paul himself might be a good example for us in this. Do you notice how he was able to say how thankful he was for his calling? Sometimes we start to ask, what if my good shepherd wants me to go to a greener pasture? 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. Encourage my heart when I tend to despair, and humble me when I tend to boast. In verses 17-24, we see that Paul applies this principle to all of life. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. How do I bloom where Christ has put me? 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 says, white is nothing, black is nothing, red is nothing, yellow is nothing, but keeping God's commandments is everything; therefore, don't try to switch cultures. 1- They seem to be looking to Paul as an example for the Christian life. Regardless of your circumstances. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Study Guide: Such Were Some of You, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Study Guide: Bought With a Price, 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 Study Guide: The Beauty of Marriage, 1 Corinthians 7:8-16 Study Guide: Approaching Difficulties in Marriage, 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Study Guide: Living the Life God has Given, 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Study Guide: Christian Singleness, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Study Guide: When You're 100% Right and 100% Wrong, 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 Study Guide: Surrendering Your Rights, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Study Guide: Run to Win the Race, 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Study Guide: A Way Out of Temptation, John 17 Study Guide 2: Sharing in Community, John 17 Study Guide 3: Sharing in Mission, John 17 Study Guide Part 4: Growing in Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 Study Guide: Glory to God in All Things, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Study Guide: Because of the Angels, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Study Guide: The Lord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Study Guide: Spiritual Gifts for the Common Good, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Study Guide: One Body, Many Members, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Study Guide: Love Never Ceases, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Study Guide: When the Perfect Comes, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 Study Guide: Pursuing Love and Desiring the Gifts, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 Study Guide: Orderly Worship, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Study Guide: Gospel Centered Faith. Paul's first application of the principle is not to vocation, but to circumcision and uncircumcision. Gods life gives us courage as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. God can save you and make you clean. It seems wholly out of place between these to say, "If you can gain your freedom, do it." 1 corinthians 7 17 24, Sermon series on 1 corinthians 7 17 24, Sermon series about 1 corinthians 7 17 24. What should you do? 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. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. The second is opportunity, I see this word in verse twenty-one. In the process, the theological reason for it will emerge also. How do we discern the Lords word in our lives? You dont need to change your social status, just respond right now and repent in faith. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? And thirdly, I believe we should always strivewherever He has usto be a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 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 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. Gods presence enables us to abide in whatever assignments we have. If you have an opportunity to go and follow a different religion that rejects the Lord Jesus Christ, that in sin. These assignments are the circumstances of our lives. . So; thats what this principle looks like in relation to outward traditions. Stay where you are and obey God. Only let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. We start to show the love of Jesus for other people. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Instead, wherever we are, we can be content. We want the Bible to give us clear answers. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. The question this morning is do you hear Gods effectual call? Introduction I am reminded of the illustration by Emo Phillips: I was walking . The things we used to love to do, we no longer want to do. Even so, we know that they are a sinner and you are a sinner. To seek Godly counsel. 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. 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 not be driven from one by fear or despair, nor allured to the other by wealth or pride. God alone rules each circumstance of life. Putting the two applications of Paul's principle together, the teaching seems to be this: Obeying the commands of God (v. 19) and enjoying his presence (v. 24) are so vastly more important than what your culture or your job is that you should feel no compulsion to change your position. Imagine you had the opportunity to work for that person as a low-level staffer at the White House. Gods joy gives us perseverance in the midst of sorrow. Now that they were made new on the inside, did their condition as married people also need to change? John 5:1-18 Study Guide: Do You Want to be Healed? The people group that God assigned you by your birth is in no way a hinderance to believing the gospel and following after the call of Jesus Christ to believe in him. The innocent believer is not bound to the deserter. Thats because its a manifestation of Gods providential work in our lives. With God! Now, dear brothers and sisters; how do we apply this principle? The Bible doesnt say yes it will or no it wont. We are to live in the same family with God. We dont need to find an island that we can settle in and populate that is just for Christians, sealed off from the rest of the world. But this was not the calling Paul had in mind. What matters is not whether our job is high or low in man's eyes. office@harvestpca.org | (402) 558-4119, Copyright 2023 Harvest Community Church (PCA) | Site Map | Terms & Privacy, Jesus Divides the Earth Matthew 10:3442, No Comfort for the Lonely City Lamentations 1:1-22, "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage" (1 Corinthians 7:1016), The Present Form of this World is Passing Away (1 Corinthians 7:25-31) . The things that we didnt want to do before, we now begin to love to do. You have a master, its the Lord Jesus Christ. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. In other words, in communion with God this would secure their contentment and happiness. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. Then Paul expands that principle to show us that its a general principle that should affect all of our lives. Let me conclude now with some practical implications. 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. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. He had betrayed his own Jewish kinsmen; and he was collecting taxes from them for the Roman government. It will transform and transcend everything else you do. It deals with the single lifestyle and what if offers compares to the marriage. 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. The word "calling" here refers to vocation or station in life. Second, I suggest that we should always be flexible to change. And again, he says the same thing in verse 24; Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. Literally, the apostle Paul wrote, In whatever you were called, brethren, in this remain before God. And note carefully the manner in which Paul tells us to remain in that calling; that is, with God. So, these are the horizontal assignments, the boundaries, the people Gods. 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. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. You would be functionally a slave, yet what an honorable position working for that great politician. Let me give you an illustration of what this might look like. They are new creations. Yet if you are in the condition of a bondservant, understand you dont need to seek a change from that either. 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. How do I sort through my own mixed emotions when Im trying to make decisions on how to live in the various circumstances of my life? And note one more thing. 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. Follow Desiring God on Facebook . Rejoice in the Lord and hope in him and you will be freer than all the anxious nobles." But that is not the way Paul has used it eight out of the nine times it occurs in this paragraph. As a Jewish man, he would never have been indifferent to the covenant sign that God gave to his ancestor Abraham. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Literally the verse says, "Let each one remain in the "calling" (not state) in which he was called." Any duration. Let him not seek circumcision.1 Corinthians 7:18, ESV This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Part 1: Is He the Christ? This is my rule in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 7:17-31. 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. 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. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. This was meant for all of Gods people in Christ. Thats the call, our assignments are ultimately irrelevant. You should be able to say to your position, "Never mind. 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. Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. Gods Calling Transcends Horizontal Assignments 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. 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. Let him not become uncircumcised. He should not become uncircumcised. Jesus Is Wounded By The Dividing Of Church Contributed by Lay Man on May 28, 2015 . 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. Their condition as married people did not need to change. These questions plague us.This passage doesnt establish our circumstances as unalterable. John 5:19-29 Study Guide: Jesus Gives Life, John 5:30-47 Study Guide: The Scriptures Point to Me, John 6:22-40 Study Guide: I am the Bread of Life, John 6:41-59 Study Guide: Jesus Addresses the Skeptics. Do not be concerned about it. Faith in Christ as Lord and Savior will never destroy the covenant of marriage which God ordained at creation. He applies it like this: if you were converted as a Gentile, don't try to become a Jew. The Time is Short "The time is short." 1 Corinthians vii. A- He has discussed marriage and divorce. It was a sovereign on purpose; and was guided and arranged by Him for the manifestation of His glory in and through us. Denomination: Salvation Army. And it assumes that God had been sovereignly working in our lifeall the way up to that point in time at which He called us into a relationship with Himself through the gospel. Seized By Temptation - 1 Corinthians 10:13. Picking Your Fights - 1 Corinthians 9:1-23. As a tax collector, he was a sinful man. That is the great message of this mornings passage. The Jews were separated physically from other people by the sign of circumcision that God gave to them. Bible > 1 Corinthians > Chapter 7 > Verse 17 Library Free Downloads eBibles 1 Corinthians 7:17
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