And what we all need to hear is that what lies most on the heart of God is not whether we move from one to the other, but whether in our present work we are enjoying God's promised presence and obeying his commands in the way we do our work. We need to think long and hard about whether what we communicate to our children about success is biblical or just American. My life is to obey God and enjoy his presence.". What does that mean? Charles Hodge describes it this way, This would mean to be near God. Sermon Trusting God to Work it Out by Brian Bill. How to Survive the Last Days, Part 3 - 1 Corinthians 16:17-24. You have heard this morning about how He transforms the lives of all those who trust Him. 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? That would have been a true statement. If you have an opportunity to go and follow a different religion that rejects the Lord Jesus Christ, that in sin. If that is true, then we need to think through our opportunities and our assignments with that lens. What should you do? Dont put yourself in slavery because you were brought with a price. What do we mean by this? 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. Now we need to see how Paul applied this principle in his day, and what it means for us today. The circumstances you are in are relatively unimportant because of the glory that God is calling to you in Christ. Notice how radically different Paul's rationale is for keeping your cultural distinctives than the rationale current in our day. What did I say, what didnt I say? Gods peace gives us comfort in the midst of our tears. 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 This calling from God is different, on the one hand, from our vocational "calling" and, on the other hand, from the general call to repent that goes out to all men. Bible Study & Sermon Videos; 1 corinthians 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 16:17-18. We are located at the top of the intersection of NW 185th Avenue and Germantown Road. The real contrast, it seems to me, should be expressed as: "Don't let your slavery make you anxious, but instead use it." 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. When we read this and we have to ask, okay I have this job opportunity in front of me. That has to do with our outward mode of lifethe place of life in this world that God has granted to us. I have to think about the specifics of that in relation to who I am and who she is. 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. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Study Guide: The Sin of Tolerance. Prepare your messages on God's Word in 1 Corinthians with sermon outlines or an . Let him not seek circumcision. That place that we were in when He called us was no accident. This is my rule for all the churches. Amen (1 Timothy 1:12-17). But Paul was urging that this was not at all necessary for a believing Jewish person to do. In Corinth, there was a grave danger facing a girl who had reached the age of marriage. If we are faithful in the place where He has called us, then He is better able to lead us to another place of calling if He so chooses. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Apollos then went to Achaia (of which Corinth was the capitol) where he gave a powerful witness to the messiahship of Jesus (Acts 18:24-28). But as you see, Zacchaeus didnt remain in that sinful lifestyle any longer. O God, give me the grace to obey your commandments, which I know are all summed up in this, to love my neighbor as myself. 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." His concern is not to condemn job changes, but to teach that you can have fulfillment in Christ whatever your job is. Look at that word remain in verse twenty. What do the scriptures teach about how God leads and directs the various circumstances in our lives? 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. Look carefully at that phrase as God has distributed to each one. As a tax collector, he was a sinful man. Old sinful habits and practices begin to be set aside. It doesnt mean that you are fixed there forever, but the default is bloom where you are planted. Caleb Greggsen pastors an English-speaking church in Central Asia. The innocent believer is not bound to the deserter. We want the Bible to give us clear answers. The old legalism said, "You must be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1). Then he looks to the noble free man and says, "Do not become proud, for in Christ you are a slave. Paul says you dont have to worry about different groups of people, the horizontal assignments you have. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? This sermon (1 Corinthians 1: 10 - 17) was preached at West Ewell Evangelical Church, Surrey, on Sunday 15 March 2015. The translation problem in verse 21 is really tough. 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. Christians are prone to this too. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called (vv. Verse 17 says, "Let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him." 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. 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). When I read in Ephesians five that I need to lay down my life for my wife, I have to think about my conversations with her. And now, as we continue our study in 1 Corinthians 7, we find that this was not just a principle meant only for marriage. 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. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. Quietness Of Spirit . In the minds of most Jewish people, he was something close to a gangster. Ultimately your circumstances are of deeply secondary importance. Gods life gives us courage as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 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. 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. Here begins our text in 1 Corinthians 7:17. Again, Gods calling intersects whatever people groups you were born into so that you dont have to join a new one. If everything on the inside is new, should we then completely get rid of every aspect of the outside life and start over? . We can remain our situations because we abide with God. To what degree should the outside be changed? Never mind. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV What wonderful news that is! (All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated). Is it a job that is not esteemed as highly as other professions? Stay where you are and obey God. So, we bring in these ideas of following the will of the Lord. The new legalism would say, "You can't be circumcised if you want to be saved. The most important thing is your faith and obedience and keeping the commandments of God. 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. Not only that, but this translation does not do justice to all the words in the Greek ("even" and "rather") which come out in the alternative translation: "Were you called as a slave? Let me suggest a few things. Instead what we need to do is to ask for illumination. 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. 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. The "called" are not all who hear the preaching, but those who receive it as wisdom. And likewise, the non-Jewish follower of Jesus was encouraged to remain non-Jewish and live for Jesus in that condition. He had betrayed his own Jewish kinsmen; and he was collecting taxes from them for the Roman government. Now; Paul doesnt just merely state this principle to us. . Sometimes we start to ask, what if my good shepherd wants me to go to a greener pasture? Use it to obey Christ and thus "adorn the doctrine of our great God and Savior" (Titus 2:10). Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. As a declaration it would be: How you fulfill the demands of your vocation is an essential part of Christian discipleship. Before we read it, let's orient ourselves from the preceding context. As Richard Hayes writes, To be the slave of a powerful master could be an honorable station. It deals with the single lifestyle and what if offers compares to the marriage. And so ordain I in all churches abide. 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. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV 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. Many of them had lived very sinful lifestyles. Amen. Thats not what Im saying.The Bible talks about how husbands should relate to wives, but the Bible doesnt tell Jacob how he should relate to Allison. It does not condemn all job changes. Any date. 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. That was a very important question that was being asked by the Christians in the ancient city of Corinth. Were not automatically required to quit our jobs, or quit our course of study at school, or abandon our vocations. This is my rule in all the churches. This is all made clear in 1 Corinthians 1. Sermon. With God!
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