Second, I suggest that we should always be flexible to change. 1 Corinthians. Never mind. This is my rule in all the churches. How to Survive the Last Days, Part 3 - 1 Corinthians 16:17-24. That's basically what uncircumcision and circumcision stood for. 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. You dont have to join a new people group. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV This is the word of our God for us this morning. 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. These three statements of Paul's principle divide the text into two parts. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Pray with me. So, these are the horizontal assignments, the boundaries, the people Gods. I have a responsibility to my wife that no one in heaven or earth shares. 1 Corinthians 7:17, ESV Let Him make you into a new creation. 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. Only let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. . 3903 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 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. Lets have enough confidence in Gods call upon us to trust Him in it, and to let Him use it, and to even thank Him for it. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV 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. The first word is assignments, I see this in verse seventeen. 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. If we are always trying to discern if we are getting what we need, we will never be content. And the reason the person who is free can say, "Never mind," is similar: "He who was free when called is a slave of Christ." It doesnt mean that you are fixed there forever, but the default is bloom where you are planted. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. I have to think, do those things line up? Were you called while a slave? We are to walk as faithful followers of Jesus in whatever place of life it is that God has called us to Himself. If so, the application is clear, respond. In Corinth, there was a grave danger facing a girl who had reached the age of marriage. During dinner, he stood up and said. Again, there is no point system. We should stay where our Lord has called usso long as He has us therebecause thats the place where He wants us to serve as His faithful missionaries to others that are in our life. John Piper Jun 14, 1981. 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. 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. Again, in verse eleven Charles Hodge describes it this way, This would mean to be near God. Never mind. 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. Text: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17. If you are Mexican, don't try to become American; if you are American, don't try to become Mexican. He was considered a traitor to the covenant promises of Israel, and a robber of his own people. Why is this? 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 is why we look for a word of the Lord, you dont need a word from the Lord, you already have it. The old legalism said, "You must be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1). 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. Sermon Discipleship is a Process by Brian Bill. Search. Where we are in our life is not by accident. And note one more thing. Our responsibilities to our families, to our work, to our neighbors, to our churches. 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. All of those things are, by the providence of God, a part of our callingin the very midst of which He calls us into a relationship with Jesus. What matters in life and in eternal life is staying close to God and enjoying his presence. It seems wholly out of place between these to say, "If you can gain your freedom, do it." To every person. ", John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. We are anxious about so many things, but our Heavenly Father knows that we need all of these things. As a declaration it would be: How you fulfill the demands of your vocation is an essential part of Christian discipleship. I think that the greatest explanation of what Paul meant is found in Romans 2. Bloom Where You're Planted. 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?" A brand new inner lifemade gloriously new in Christhas begun. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. They are different from circumstance to circumstance and person to person. Gods Calling Teaches Us to Abide with God 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. What wonderful news that is! It declares to us how much it is that Jesus transforms the life of whoever trusts in Him. 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. Devote yourself to that with all your heart, and take whatever job you want. I have to think about my actions, what did I do, what didnt I do? Wherever you are now, reject a consumers mindset where you just want to take and instead embrace a servant mindset. So; thats what this principle looks like in relation to outward traditions. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV 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. Gods Calling Transcends Horizontal Assignments Notice how radically different Paul's rationale is for keeping your cultural distinctives than the rationale current in our day. Theme: We are to walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. He looks to the slave who may feel hopeless and says, "In Christ you are a free man. It is no accident that you are where you are. There is no clear objective rule on this. 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. 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. Search the scriptures, but not for an answer. 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. You have the same objective passages to look at, but you need to look at how that will be applied in your situation. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. All Videos Images Commentaries Devotionals Other Translations Sermons Related Scriptures Podcasts Blogs. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Gods life gives us courage as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 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. Let him not seek circumcision. 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. 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. God used Pauls place of calling mightily. What should we be saying? Romans 3:23 - 24: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It was all for a glorious purpose. The question this morning is do you hear Gods effectual call? Building On The Past - 1 Corinthians 10:1-12. Do they love Jesus in a way that through the challenges of life they will never be a hinderance to following Jesus? As one commentator, Lenski, writes, Paul is taking the minor idea of these assignments that we have, and he is including them with the major blessing to the call to faith in Jesus Christ.. No, Paul says this is my rule in all the churches. To what degree should the outside be changed? So, he says in verse eighteen, The Jews were separated physically from other people by the sign of circumcision that God gave to them. The translation problem in verse 21 is really tough. How do we discern the Lords word in our lives? When you serve your master, you are not serving him, but the Lord. All of us are prone to asking whether or not the grass may be greener somewhere than where we are living our lives right now. He is radically God-oriented. Now, Paul is then drawing the application of this point to probably one of the most difficult circumstances to find yourself in, that of a bondservant, a slave. 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. Let him not become uncircumcised. To be circumcised, of course, was to bear upon ones self the covenant sign of Israel. Part 3: Sending the Spirit, John 8:12-30 Study Guide: I am the Light of the World, John 8:31-47 Study Guide: The Truth Will Set You Free, John 8:48-59 Study Guide: Before Abraham Was, \"I am\", John 10:1-21 Study Guide: The Good Shepherd, John 10:22-42 Study Guide: Safe in the Father\'s Hand, Jonah 1 Study Guide: Defiance and Discipline, Jonah 2 Study Guide: Salvation Belongs to the Lord, Jonah 3 Study Guide: The God of Second Chances. A life that is lived in faith to Jesus and the way the he appoints for believers to live in. Now, in actual fact, the whole section - from verse 17 through to the end of the chapter, at vs40, really ought to be . 1. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? 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. 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. And then, Paul went on to give us another illustrationthis one having to do with social structures. Verse 17 says, "Let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him." (2) If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast aboutbut not before God. Our big idea today is this,We can abide in our circumstances because God calls us to abide with him. 24 and are . And to a certain degree, that new inner life also has an impact on the outer life. He has sovereignly called us as He did for a purpose. 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. Let me give you an illustration of what this might look like. Or to put it another way: How you do your job is a big part of your obedience to Jesus. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.1 Corinthians 7:17-19, ESV This sermon (1 Corinthians 1: 10 - 17) was preached at West Ewell Evangelical Church, Surrey, on Sunday 15 March 2015. In other words, don't make such a big deal out of whether you are circumcised or not, or whether you are white or black or red or Swedish. 18Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? A man who lived his life doing very menial tasks and he started this mental, spiritual exercise whereas he was doing menials tasks he tried to remember that he was in the presence of God and spending his life praying. Theme: We are to walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. These are our assignments, the relationships that God has given us to live in. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.1 Corinthians 7:23, ESV In the minds of most Jewish people, he was something close to a gangster. Still, we might ask the question why Paul doesnt seek that the institution of slavery be abolished all together? Let him not be circumcised. 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. It means to remain or endure in a situation, specifically with the idea of awaiting something else. Were you circumcised? Sermon . 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. If we translated this really literally, it would go like this, Only to each as God assigned, in the situation in which God has called each thus let him walk.. When we are called into a relationship with Jesus, God calls us in a place where we still have our old friends and old relations. A believing husband should not divorce his unbelieving wife, and a believing wife should not divorce her unbelieving husband. ", 18245 NW Germantown Road And in this vocation or station in life another calling comes from God. The idea of abiding in a situation while you are awaiting something bigger, we see most clearly in 1 John 2:28 The principle that Paul had already taught in relation to marriage is here mentioned clearly three times. What matters is not whether our job is high or low in man's eyes. 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. When you are called to Christ, even as a bondservant you dont belong to your master but to the Lord. He may call us to Himself while we are in a place of sin; but He then leads us to live for Him outside that place of sin. Sermon Trusting God to Work it Out by Brian Bill. Are you single, married? 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).
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