Image vs Integrity

Well, everybody had two weeks to recover from the last message thanks to the winter storm.

Everybody doing okay?

In case you missed it…

I preached on sexual immorality.

We were in 1 Corinthians 5 — and it was uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable to hear, even more uncomfortable to preach.

But it had to be done…

Because the reality is:

If we leave church — or small group — only ever feeling good…We’re wasting our time.

We grow in uncomfortable places.

Without discomfort, there is no growth.

Tension is not a bad thing — it’s a good thing.

But don’t worry… only happy and comfort today.

Go ahead and turn with me to 1 Corinthians 6.

Paul’s moving on from one issue…and jumping straight into another.

This time, it starts with how they were slandering and suing each other…

But don’t get too comfortable because he’s going to bring up sexual sin again too.

1 Corinthians 6:1–5 ESV

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers,

This morning I want to teach you how to shame people for Jesus…

Pray

You know what the hardest part of preaching is?

It’s not the study — I actually love that part.

It’s not the writing — I enjoy that too.

It’s this part right here…

The moment after the text is read, where I’ve got to somehow pull the room in.

Tell a random story.

Make a weird analogy about lactose intolerance or something else strange enough to stick.

This part is weirdly the hardest and takes me the longest.

Now, I don’t have to do it…

But it helps.

It resets the room. It breaks up the tension.

There is another reason I do it too if I’m honest…

I want you to remember the messages….

and I want you to think I’m a good preacher/communicator.

This feels like I’m breaking the fourth wall a little bit but it’s true.

I want to have the image of a good preacher…

And that’s the tension not just for preachers, but for all of us.

We want to be seen a certain way.

We work hard to protect our image.

But what happens when our image becomes more important than our integrity?

This is the problem the Corinthians were dealing with.

They wanted to look good more than they wanted to be good.

And it shows up right at the beginning of chapter 6.

These believers are airing their dirty laundry in front of unbelievers not because they want justice, but because they want to win.

It wasn’t about integrity. It was about image.

And Paul says something that, to many of us, sounds harsh:

“I say this to your shame.”

That doesn’t feel very nice…

Because we live in a culture of gentle.

Everything has to be soft, palatable, inoffensive.

We don’t want anyone to feel bad.

Even parenting has been rebranded as “gentle parenting.”

Now listen to me, Paul’s not, and I’m not advocating for you to walk around being jerks.

But you know what I am advocating for?

Christians to grow up and stop living in their feelings as if their feelings are their god….

If your feelings are shielding you from truth, then Christ isn’t your King — your feelings are.

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

I don’t know about you…but I need a God who’s unchanging —not one who shifts based on how I’m feeling that day.

So let’s come back to verse 5.

Paul says:

“I say this to your shame.”

Now — that’s important.

Because he’s not just name-calling.

He’s not being petty.

He’s using shame theologically.

This is where I want to show you something — not just to make a point, but to show you how to read your Bible for yourself.

There’s a word for this: hermeneutics.

Sounds fancy — but it’s really simple.

Hermeneutics just means:

Slow down

Ask questions

Look at the context

Trace the author’s intent

And listen for the Spirit’s conviction

I love doing this visually — it helps me understand Scripture more deeply.

So let me show you what I put together while prepping this message.

[Cue graphic here]

Let’s look at how Paul builds this sentence — because what he’s doing isn’t just emotional.

It’s logical.

It’s spiritual.

And it’s inspired.

“Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers?”

He’s not just exposing what they did.

He’s exposing why they did it.

Because if you believe the church doesn’t have anyone wise enough to handle internal issues…

That’s not just a leadership problem.

That’s a spiritual maturity problem.

And Paul isn’t afraid to call it out —Because healing begins where honesty begins.

Let me explain this little graphic I made — this is a sentence breakdown of verse 5.

I do this to slow myself down and see what’s actually being said.

It’s not complicated.

It’s just intentional.

You’ve got Paul building a layered argument — not just making a statement, but pressing into it with structure.

First: “I say this to your shame.”

Then the question:

“Can it be there’s no one among you wise enough…?”

And then the core issue:

“To settle disputes between brothers.”

Each part builds on the last.

Paul’s tone is sharp, but his goal is clear — restoration through maturity.

Now — when I saw that word “wise” — it jumped out.

So I did what you can do too — I let Scripture interpret Scripture.

I thought of James 1:5

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Boom.

Paul says, “Is there no one wise enough?”

James says, “If you need wisdom — ask.”

That’s not just good theology — that’s biblical clarity.

That’s hermeneutics in action.

It’s not reserved for scholars.

You don’t need a seminary degree.

You just need a little curiosity and a willingness to slow down.

Ladies and gentlemen — you can do this.

You can open your Bible and go deeper.

It just takes intentionality.

Through this process we can see

Paul’s not just asking, ‘Why don’t you know better?’

He’s asking: ‘Why aren’t you living like you have access to the wisdom of God?’

Why are you running to outsiders for things the Spirit already empowered you to handle?

It’s like Paul’s saying:

‘You’ve spent all this energy trying to look wise — but you’re ignoring the One who gave you wisdom in the first place.

Let’s do another round of hermeneutics together — and this time, let’s use Scripture to interpret Scripture again.

Flip back to chapter one — Paul already told them this at the very beginning.”

1 Corinthians 1:26–27 ESV

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

So Paul’s like:

“You weren’t impressive when He saved you… why are you pretending now?”

Your wisdom doesn’t come from the culture — it comes from Christ.

Verses 6–7 show us what’s really going on:

They’re suing each other — in public court — instead of dealing with church issues in the church.

Paul is stunned.

He doesn’t just call it wrong — he calls it shameful.

Why?

Because they cared more about protecting their image than preserving their integrity.

And here’s the bigger issue:

When you compromise your integrity… it doesn’t just affect you.

It reflects on the entire church.

That leads us to a question I think we all need to ask:

Am I protecting my image or my integrity? 

Because those two things are not always the same.

Image is what people see.

Integrity is who you are when no one’s watching.

Image can be curated.

Integrity has to be cultivated.

One is about perception.

The other is about truth.

And if we’re not careful, we’ll spend all our energy managing how we look…

Instead of confronting who we are.

Let me say it in a practical way:

Stop working on your reputation. Start working on your character.

You can’t control your reputation — that’s what people decide about you.

You can control your character — that’s what you decide about you.

David writes in Psalm 25:21

Psalm 25:21 ESV

21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.

Not my reputation, not what people think of me, but my integrity. who i am in private.

who i am behind the curtain.

let me give you a reality check:

Integrity loses in secret what pride tries to win in public.

Here’s what I mean when your public image is built on pride — on appearing strong, right, successful, or “good”…

But your private life doesn’t match it…

Eventually, that secret gap will cost you everything you were trying to hold together.

Because what’s hidden eventually leaks.

And pride will keep you performing while your soul is rotting underneath.

And pride will keep you performing while your soul is rotting underneath.

Now, I know what you might be thinking:

“Pastor, we’re not taking people to court. We’re not suing anyone…”

And sure — maybe not legal court.

But today, we take people to the court of public opinion.

We don’t file lawsuits — we fire off posts.

We don’t plead our case before a judge — we plead it on Instagram stories, Facebook threads, and group chats.

We air our grievances publicly… not to seek peace, but to protect our image.

We want to be seen as right — even if we’re spiritually wrong.

Look no further than the fights over immigration, political parties, movements, policies — take your pick.

Everyone’s quick to post, slow to listen.

And I’m just going to say it — I’m so sick of the posts that say:

“You’re not a real Christian if…”

And then they fill in the blank with something political, not biblical.

Since when did Jesus need your party platform to save people?

Don’t hear what I’m not saying I’m not saying Christians should avoid politics.

Anyone who says, “Christians need to stay out of politics,” is ignorant.

Jesus is literally called “the King of kings.”

You think that’s just poetic? That’s political.

That’s authority over presidents, parliaments, and every power on earth.

The gospel doesn’t sit politely in the corner — it claims the throne.

Now I’ll say this — if you’re a Christian and you feel called to speak out against ICE or the immigration policies happening right now, I’m not going to look down on you for that.

But I am going to ask you this:

Are you bringing the same energy, the same outrage, the same compassion — to the literal genocide of Christians happening in Nigeria right now?

Because if our sense of justice only gets activated by what’s trending here — but we go silent when our brothers and sisters are being slaughtered there —then maybe we’re not being shaped by the gospel…We’re being shaped by the algorithm.

Let me bring it back to 1 Corinthians 6…

Paul isn’t just frustrated because people were acting out — He’s grieved because the church was reflecting the world instead of Christ.

They weren’t just handling disputes poorly — They were doing it publicly, immaturely, and shamefully…

All to protect their status and their image.

But church — we are not called to image management.

We are called to spiritual maturity.

And maturity means choosing integrity over attention.

Truth over tribalism.

Conviction over comfort.

It’s not just about how the world sees you — it’s about what the world sees when it looks at the church.

This whole section isn’t just about lawsuits.

It’s about how we treat each other when we’re hurt, angry, or in conflict.

It’s about where we turn — and why.

Because when conflict comes — and it will come — it reveals where your trust really is.

Do you run to the world’s systems… or to God’s Spirit?

Do you run to vent… or to reconcile?

Paul is saying: You’re acting like you don’t even have the wisdom of God inside you.

Like you forgot who you are.

Like you forgot what you’ve been saved from.

That’s where he goes next — and so do we.

Let’s pick it up in verse 9…

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

He’s trying to remind them — and maybe you too:

You’ve been changed.

You’re not who you were.

So why are you living like you forgot?

Here is the second question we have to ask ourselves:

Have I forgotten what I’ve been saved from?

Paul lists out specific sins — not to condemn, but to remind.

To remind them that the power of the gospel is real.

That transformation is possible.

That “such were some of you” isn’t a line of shame — it’s a line of victory.

If you ever need to remember how powerful God is… just remember what He saved you from.

Don’t forget the addictions He broke.

Don’t forget the identity lies He healed.

Don’t forget the patterns He changed and the grace He poured out.

You weren’t just forgiven — you were washed, sanctified, and justified.

That’s not just theology — that’s your testimony.

So don’t live like you’re still chained to what Jesus already carried to the cross.

Don’t forget who you are — and whose you are.

Let’s keep going.

1 Corinthians 6:12–13 ESV

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

I want to pause briefly right here because this stopped me in my tracks when I read this?

“All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”

And what’s the very first thing he brings up?

Food.

Not sex.

Not alcohol.

Not idols.

Food.

Because Paul knows — domination doesn’t start with something scandalous.

It starts with something common.

Something we justify.

Something we need.

Something we say, “It’s not that big of a deal…”

In the church, we’ll talk about this sin and that sin.

We’ll preach hard on sexual immorality… pride… even gossip sometimes.

But when was the last time you heard a sermon on gluttony?

When was the last time someone pulled you aside, not because you were sleeping around — but because you were eating to escape?

Over-consuming to cope?

Filling yourself with food when what you really need is to be filled with the Spirit?

I’m talking to me right now.

This isn’t about size — it’s about submission.

It’s not about what’s on your plate — it’s about what’s mastering your heart.

Paul says, “I will not be dominated by anything.”

So let me ask you — Is there anything in your life right now that’s calling the shots?

That you run to instead of running to God?

But here’s the truth:

Just because it’s lawful doesn’t mean it’s helpful.

Just because it’s permissible doesn’t mean it’s beneficial.

And if it’s mastering you — it’s not freedom, it’s slavery.

Let’s keep going

1 Corinthians 6:13–18 ESV

13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Flee.

Not “Try really hard next time.”

Not “Remember, you’re covered by grace.”

Flee.

Because grace isn’t permission to stay — it’s power to run.

Paul doesn’t say flirt with it.

He doesn’t say manage it.

He says: Get away from it.

Like your life depends on it — because it does.

The Corinthians got half the message right:

“All things are lawful.”

But they completely missed the other half:

“Not all things are helpful.”

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Freedom in Christ doesn’t mean freedom from wisdom.

Liberty without love turns into license — and that’s not freedom, it’s bondage dressed up in church clothes.

question number 3:

Am I using grace as a license or a launchpad?

The corinthians were using “freedom” to justify sexual sin — Paul calls it spiritual sabotage.

Pastor, I don’t have a sexual sin issue…

Okay — but are you using grace as an excuse anywhere in your life?

Are you letting yourself off the hook, saying:

“God understands…”

“It’s not that bad…”

“At least I’m not doing that…”

That’s a license.

Grace isn’t a permission slip to keep sinning — it’s power to walk in freedom.

The cross didn’t lower the standard — it raised the stakes.

Jesus didn’t die to make us comfortable in sin…He died to make us holy through His Spirit.

If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, ladies and gentlemen you no longer have control….

Culture says “my body, my choice.” look what scripture says

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

You are not your own….for you were bought with a price.

You exist to glorify God, not have a great image or reputation…

Here is the final question we have to ask ourselves…

Who really owns my body? 

Honoring God with your body isn’t just about purity — it’s about ownership.

It’s about surrender.

It’s about living like your body belongs to Jesus — because it does.

Pray