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The Present Distress (Pt 1)
1 Corinthians 7:25-31
May 27, 2018
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kids’ Korner.
The sermon starts at 15:15 in the audio file.
Or, Marriage: A Mess Worth Avoiding?
When Jesus commissioned His disciples He told them to make disciples who identified with Jesus in baptism and then committed to lifelong learning about Jesus and obeying His commands. Jesus did not commission His disciples to get others to pray a prayer and then be transferred immediately to heaven. Being a disciple, and making disciples, involves living in the present world for Jesus rather than getting out of it.
When Jesus prayed for His people in John 17 (especially verses 14-19) He knew that the world would hate His people because they are “not of the world.” Yet He did not ask the Father to take us “out of the world” either. We’re not of, and not out. Jesus even prayed that the Father would send us “into the world,” sanctified in the truth. How much depends on these little prepositions. And how little do Christian disciples seem to understand how to do it.
It is a constant effort to keep our thoughts and our choices for the Lord. The Lord made us to do so, and He also taught that many are distracted by the world and the seed of the gospel is choked out by riches and cares of this life (Matthew 13:22). Because we don’t welcome living in tension about crucial things, we tend to choose one foot to hop on, then we know we’re right. Some choose to stay in the theological bed all day and try to ignore the larger implications, while others choose to hyperventilate over the smaller implications of everything. Either we give up trying to figure out what is good, or we decide that only certain things are good, especially the things that make us look good.
The Christians in Corinth struggled with this, especially when it came to relations between the sexes. Some thought that using a prostitute was as as good for the body as food (1 Corinthians 6:13), and others thought that abstinence with one’s wife was obviously the greater good (7:1). Both are wrong.
1 Corinthians 6 dealt with those who weren’t thinking enough about boundaries and restrictions on earthly appetites, 1 Corinthians 7 deals with those who desired castle moats and 50 foot tall electric fences. The apostle Paul teaches them how to think about relationships, and in the process teaches them how to relate to a lot of things in this world.
In verses 1-16 he addressed married couples. In verses 25-40 he addresses those who are engaged/betrothed or widowed. In between, in verses 17-24, he went over the basic principle of God’s earthly callings for each person and how committed service at our station is key.
We’re going to consider the last half of the chapter in two parts, starting with Paul’s counsel to the engaged in the context of “the present distress” (verse 26) in a world that is “passing away” (verse 31). Paul will give his judgement in the matter (verses 25-28), and then give five exhortations for Christian judgement (verses 29-31). Is marriage a mess worth making, or a mess worth avoiding?
Married Couple Problems (verses 25-28)
When I mention the ESV translation I usually am critical. I should express more thanks more often, since I do think it’s a great translation overall, it is what I read for myself and memorize and preach from, and it’s what I encourage others to use. In these troubled translation waters, the ESV does very well.
Now concerning or “about” (NIV) likely refers again to the letter that the Corinthians wrote him. He started the chapter that way (verse 1) as some in the church were arguing for the good of abstinence in marriage. They thought it was more holy, even for spouses, to avoid sex. They also apparently thought it was more holy to avoid certain foods, as the “now concerning” introduces chapter 8 as well. Here is the middle issue, it is mo[...]
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By Trinity Evangel Church1 Corinthians 7:25-31
May 27, 2018
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kids’ Korner.
The sermon starts at 15:15 in the audio file.
Or, Marriage: A Mess Worth Avoiding?
When Jesus commissioned His disciples He told them to make disciples who identified with Jesus in baptism and then committed to lifelong learning about Jesus and obeying His commands. Jesus did not commission His disciples to get others to pray a prayer and then be transferred immediately to heaven. Being a disciple, and making disciples, involves living in the present world for Jesus rather than getting out of it.
When Jesus prayed for His people in John 17 (especially verses 14-19) He knew that the world would hate His people because they are “not of the world.” Yet He did not ask the Father to take us “out of the world” either. We’re not of, and not out. Jesus even prayed that the Father would send us “into the world,” sanctified in the truth. How much depends on these little prepositions. And how little do Christian disciples seem to understand how to do it.
It is a constant effort to keep our thoughts and our choices for the Lord. The Lord made us to do so, and He also taught that many are distracted by the world and the seed of the gospel is choked out by riches and cares of this life (Matthew 13:22). Because we don’t welcome living in tension about crucial things, we tend to choose one foot to hop on, then we know we’re right. Some choose to stay in the theological bed all day and try to ignore the larger implications, while others choose to hyperventilate over the smaller implications of everything. Either we give up trying to figure out what is good, or we decide that only certain things are good, especially the things that make us look good.
The Christians in Corinth struggled with this, especially when it came to relations between the sexes. Some thought that using a prostitute was as as good for the body as food (1 Corinthians 6:13), and others thought that abstinence with one’s wife was obviously the greater good (7:1). Both are wrong.
1 Corinthians 6 dealt with those who weren’t thinking enough about boundaries and restrictions on earthly appetites, 1 Corinthians 7 deals with those who desired castle moats and 50 foot tall electric fences. The apostle Paul teaches them how to think about relationships, and in the process teaches them how to relate to a lot of things in this world.
In verses 1-16 he addressed married couples. In verses 25-40 he addresses those who are engaged/betrothed or widowed. In between, in verses 17-24, he went over the basic principle of God’s earthly callings for each person and how committed service at our station is key.
We’re going to consider the last half of the chapter in two parts, starting with Paul’s counsel to the engaged in the context of “the present distress” (verse 26) in a world that is “passing away” (verse 31). Paul will give his judgement in the matter (verses 25-28), and then give five exhortations for Christian judgement (verses 29-31). Is marriage a mess worth making, or a mess worth avoiding?
Married Couple Problems (verses 25-28)
When I mention the ESV translation I usually am critical. I should express more thanks more often, since I do think it’s a great translation overall, it is what I read for myself and memorize and preach from, and it’s what I encourage others to use. In these troubled translation waters, the ESV does very well.
Now concerning or “about” (NIV) likely refers again to the letter that the Corinthians wrote him. He started the chapter that way (verse 1) as some in the church were arguing for the good of abstinence in marriage. They thought it was more holy, even for spouses, to avoid sex. They also apparently thought it was more holy to avoid certain foods, as the “now concerning” introduces chapter 8 as well. Here is the middle issue, it is mo[...]