1 corinthians 7:17 24 sermon

This may be correct, but I find it hard to accept since the principle he is illustrating is expressed in v. 20 as "Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called," and in verse 24 as "In whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God." We start seeking out fellowship with other Christians. 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. This, then, is a very important principle for new creations in Christ. No, Paul says this is my rule in all the churches. John Piper Jun 14, 1981. Your job is not to close your eyes, open the Bible, point to a word and then see what this has to say to me. 1 Corinthians 7:17, ESV Seek to follow the Lords leading but remember this number one priority. The most important thing is your faith and obedience and keeping the commandments of God. 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. If Im not in full time ministry, am I really doing something worthwhile? That speaks of the total transformation of our inner self. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. 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? Their sins are completely forgivencast into the sea of Gods pardoning grace. 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. Paul went on to say, but if you can be made free, rather use it. Remaining in the cultural situation in which God called us didnt necessarily mean that God may not call us to a different cultural situation later on in life. Bible > 1 Corinthians > Chapter 7 > Verse 17 Library Free Downloads eBibles 1 Corinthians 7:17 Its in that context that you can serve your master, because you arent serving your master suddenly you are in an assignment where the calling of Jesus Christ is intersected. Paul is saying that in the new covenant the separation of people groups by national entities is no longer important. Do you remember the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector in Luke 19? Imagine you had the opportunity to work for that person as a low-level staffer at the White House. "So brethren," Paul concludes in verse 24, "In whatever state each was called, let him remain with God." And thirdly, I believe we should always strivewherever He has usto be a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Other times slavery provided opportunities for upward social mobility that poor people wouldnt normally have. 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. 29. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. Understand that this is the glorious gospel of salvation in Christ. No matter how difficult his circumstances was, no matter how menials the assignments he was given, what a joy to abide in the presence with God. 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. Am I living my best life now? 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. I have to think, do those things line up? you should give the resounding answer: "His will is that I maintain close fellowship with him and devote myself to obeying his commandments." Again Paul answers, no. So all Christians, and only Christians, are called in this sense. In verses 17-24, we see that Paul applies this principle to all of life. Now, dear brothers and sisters; how do we apply this principle? God is sovereign. So in answer to their question, he told them no. You dont need an objective ruling, you need illumination. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 New International Version Concerning Change of Status 17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. 2) Even before our salvation God worked for our good. He told them; If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. In the assignment in which the call of God came to you, walk in that. What if its not just me, what if Im disobedient not to go? (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) Most Popular. *"This date is an approximation of when this sermon was delivered." THE text does not say that time is short. Introduction. Wherever you are now, reject a consumers mindset where you just want to take and instead embrace a servant mindset. But that is not the way Paul has used it eight out of the nine times it occurs in this paragraph. 44:54. Acknowledging God in every moment of every day in prayer. 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. Our sermon ideas on 1 Corinthians will help you preach a powerful message on sound conduct and doctrine within the church. You have heard this morning about how He transforms the lives of all those who trust Him. Podcast: Play in new window Only let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. Paul says that its good, if you can, to remain in the situation that you are in. 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? You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. No new uncircumcised believer in Christ was required to become circumcised or to hold to the traditions passed on by Moses. 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 He had betrayed his own Jewish kinsmen; and he was collecting taxes from them for the Roman government. The universal default principle is that you should stay where you are. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. A believing husband should not divorce his unbelieving wife, and a believing wife should not divorce her unbelieving husband. God alone rules each circumstance of life. Part 1: Is He the Christ? His concern is not to condemn job changes, but to teach that you can have fulfillment in Christ whatever your job is. To every person. This is absolutely imperative to grasp lest we create a new legalism. So, the first thing that Paul talks about are these honorable assignments between different people groups. . Amen. Therefore, when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:17, 20, and 24 that we should remain and live with God in the state in which we were called, he means: Remain in the state you were in when you were converted, when you were drawn by God into believing, loving fellowship with his Son. How do I bloom where Christ has put me? (All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated). 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). We begin to treat our daily responsibilities and duties more seriously. God used Pauls place of calling mightily. Then verse 20, "Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called." That is when he invites us to trust in the Lord Jesus through faith. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Sermons on 1 Corinthians 7:17-24: showing 1-15 of 94 Sort By Scripture Clear Scripture Filters Rating 5 stars 4 stars or more 3 stars or more Any Rating Date Last Week Last Month Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last Year Any Time Denominations Adventist (1) Anglican (1) Assembly Of God (4) Baptist (30) Calvary Chapel (2) Show more Language English (93) We dont need to be so concerned with what we are getting out of life. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.1 Corinthians 7:17-19, ESV 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (ID: 1640) In 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, Paul called for stability and contentment among believers regardless of their station in life. The Bible tells you to love your neighbor as yourself and that looks different in different relationships. Most modern versions say, "Were you a slave when called? Second, I suggest that we should always be flexible to change. That would have been a true statement. In other words, so that we can have by the transformed lives to the gospel lives that are lived obediently to what God is calling us to. Am I doing the right thing? First, I believe we should learn to be confident in Gods call for us. Why You Should Preach This Book. The first word is assignments, I see this in verse seventeen. 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. These three statements of Paul's principle divide the text into two parts. So, these are the horizontal assignments, the boundaries, the people Gods. In verse 21, he wrote, Were you called while a slave? 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. In our last time together, we talked about Pauls answer to this important question from 1 Corinthians 7:12-14. For many of us that may mean turning over a new leaf tomorrow morning. 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. 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. New practices and habits begin to be embraced. What does that mean? Luke 1:26-45 Study Guide: What did Mary Know? 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. Notice how radically different Paul's rationale is for keeping your cultural distinctives than the rationale current in our day. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.1 Corinthians 7:23, ESV You are where you are by divine assignment, even if you got there by fraud. Again, Gods calling intersects whatever people groups you were born into so that you dont have to join a new one. 1 Corinthians 7:17,20 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. The circumstances you are in are relatively unimportant because of the glory that God is calling to you in Christ. Should you leave whatever you are doing and go do whatever you think Holy Spirit should be doing? And likewise, the Bible tells us that we are not our own, but that we have been purchased at the cost of the blood of Jesuseven if, culturally speaking, we are now in a state of freedom. 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? NOTE: Paul was separated unto Christ from his mother's womb but not saved until the Damascus Road Galatians 1:15; Acts 9. And so, He had His loving eye upon us, and His sovereign hand upon our lives, from the very beginning. You are not my life. He also gives us some illustrations of what this principle should look like in some specific cases. This is the same point he was making with cultural differences like circumcision: Were you uncircumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Even if you are free, you are not free. Let Him make you into a new creation. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lords freedman. Don't let that be a care to you; but, even if you can become a freedman, rather make use of (your present position)." This is the word of our God for us this morning. 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! 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. We dont pray for an answer but for an illumination. 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. This was meant for all of Gods people in Christ. 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. Romans 4:1-5 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? Gods Calling Transcends Vertical Assignments These are our assignments, the relationships that God has given us to live in. 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. Yet if you are in the condition of a bondservant, understand you dont need to seek a change from that either. 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? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. How you fulfill the demands of that job is just as essential in life as what you do here on Sunday. What matters is not whether our job is high or low in man's eyes. by Alistair Begg. Still, we might ask the question why Paul doesnt seek that the institution of slavery be abolished all together? ", 18245 NW Germantown Road Are you feeling and sensing Jesus Christ drawing you to himself through his spirit? 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. Sermon Discipleship is a Process by Brian Bill. Seek the illumination of the Holy Spirit as you evaluate assignments and opportunities. 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. Never mind. Theme: We are to walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. Or to put it another way: How you do your job is a big part of your obedience to Jesus. It is, in fact, a principle for all those who believe on Jesusand in all the churches that belong to Him. And in this vocation or station in life another calling comes from God. Were you called while a slave? He has sovereignly called us as He did for a purpose. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. All Videos Images Commentaries Devotionals Other Translations Sermons Related Scriptures Podcasts Blogs. One is the work of the Holy Spirit in the objective inspiration of the Bible. 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. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Once the person came the sign gave way to a reality. Where we are in our life is not by accident. The new legalism would say, "You can't be circumcised if you want to be saved. But the next things that Paul goes on to talk about in verse twenty through twenty-three are vertical boundaries. 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. In other words, coming to faith in Christ does not make a person want to abandon relationships appointed by God, but to sanctify them. Text: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17. In the last analysis, nothing else will matter but that. Those that He has called to Himself by faith in Jesus were chosen by Him for that relationship long before they were ever born. 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?" Thats why slave of Christ, in verse twenty-two, could be an honorable designation suggested a position of some authority..