If You Ain't (Suffering With) Cheating, You Ain't Winning

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 6:1-10

Introduction: Lawsuits - Another way we are uniquely shaped by the culture

Throughout this series, we’ve talked about ways in which we can subtly be influenced, shaped, and molded by the culture.

The world around us can be so filled with certain philosophies and ideals that run contrary to the Scriptures that we can become captive to those same philosophies and not even realize it.

One such way that this can happen is in the way we view lawsuits.

And the reason I say that is because the US is ALL ABOUT SOME LAWSUITS!

We absolutely LOVE to SUE!!!

We are in the top 5 of the MOST LITIGIOUS COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD! Meaning we are in the top 5 of countries in the world MOST UNREASONABLY PRONE to settle our disputes in court.

We have 1 lawyer for every 300 ppl in the country. That’s the smallest ratio of lawyers to citizens IN THE WORLD!

<Shout out to my brother, Matt Clark, this morning! We love you brother and want you to keep doing a great job!>

This is not a knock on lawyers but rather an attempt to draw your attention to how SUE HAPPY the culture we in can be and how that can influence the way many of us look at the courts as an early option to settle our disputes rather than an option of last resort.

But not only do we rely on the courts to handle our disputes, we rely on them in the most trivial of matters.

In 2014, a California man sued McDonald’s for $1.5M. His reason: He only received one napkin with his order and the argument that followed left him emotionally distressed.

In 2016, a Chicago woman sued Starbucks for $5M. Her reason: putting too much ice in their cold drinks. She said that they were advertising 24 ounce drinks but putting the ice in them resulted in only getting 14 ounces of liquid. In the drink. Apparently, It never dawned on her to go with the other option of just asking for easy ice.

We are a SUE HAPPY culture.

And that unfortunately does not exclude the church!

There a stories in the news right now of members suing their church over church votes, of preachers suing other preachers, I even saw a few years ago, where a church sued one of its former members for leaving a bad review of the church on Google.

We are a SUE HAPPY culture.

So Paul’s words to us this morning are worthy of our consideration. Let’s take a look at them starting at verse 1

1 Corinthians 6:1 ESV

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

A Historical Look

When you take a quick look at the historical background of the legal system where this scene is playing out, you see that it was plagued with a lot of problems.

(1) According to scholars/historians, the Roman legal system was often tilted towards those with wealth:

a. “Lower-class” folks were prohibited from prosecuting those that were considered in the elite class. On the flip side, people from the elite class could absolutely bring cases against those of a lower class.

b. The jurors were typically selected from wealthier social groups. For example, in North Africa in order to be considered for jury duty, citizens had to have a property value of 7,500 denarii (roughly 20 years worth of wages for an average employee).

c. In addition, lawyers were also far more expensive than an average citizen could afford

Which leads us to think that most likely this was a lawsuit between two of the more financially privileged members of the Corinthian church because the other members either didn’t have the authority to sue or didn’t have the resources to sue.

(2) Another problem that plagued this system was corruption. Some historical documents show that juries would sometimes conspire to see innocent people thrown in jail. Caesar Augustus saw the issues and released an edict that described what he saw

“There exist certain conspiracies to oppress the Greeks in trials on capital charges.… I myself have ascertained that some innocent people have in this way been oppressed and carried off to the supreme penalty.”

This is the environment in which Paul is writing and speaking with the Corinthians concerning lawsuits.

This isn’t everything Paul has in mind here, but it certainly could be a little of what he has in mind when he says in verse 1 “Does he dare go to law before the UNRIGHTEOUS instead of the saints.” Their systems are imbalanced and even at times corrupt, but most importantly, they have NO INSIGHT into how the Kingdom of God calls us to treat one another. And despite all of that, y’all are going to take your dispute with one another on a TRIVIAL matter to the world according verse 2?

Paul again is just like we found him last week in chapter 5…HE’S BESIDE HIMSELF and I sense that they’re definitely a few reasons why.

Paul is asking, “Does he dare got to the law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?” for a few reasons

Reason #1: The Lawsuit Shows An Absence of the Church’s Authority

Notice that this passage that we’re reading this morning comes right after an entire section on church discipline in chapter 5. Remember last week, Paul confronted the church on their unwillingness to address the grievous sin in their camp. And in his confrontation was a section in which Paul says these words: “12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?”

So here is Paul basically saying, “You needed to judge the one sleeping with his father’s wife, and you withheld judgment.” Now you have another situation that needs the church’s judgment and instead of dealing with it, you’re withholding again, letting the world with their unspiritual and at times imbalanced and corrupt systems handle it.

For Saints THIS SHOULD NOT BE! Matters that you should be handling and judging on the inside, you’re either taking them to the outside or ignoring them completely!

We’re not sure what all is happening, but it appears that maybe due to the idolatry of leadership, or the chasing of great orators, or the widespread sexual sin that seems to be at work, the Corinthian church has lost its ability to speak with authority to its members.

APPLICATION: A CHURCH WITHOUT AUTHORITY IN THE LIFE OF ITS MEMBERS can only be a WORLDLY church. If the members are taking their cues from what the world thinks of them versus what the brothers and sisters think of them, then they will be mainly shaped and molded by the world that they so highly regard.

But the church should have a role of authority in your life.

You should treasure and sit under the authority of the Word. You should value and consider the leadership of those shepherding you when they do so as unto and with the Lord. You should embrace the whole counsel of the church and its members when searching for wisdom in your decision. Ask these folks around you when the Lord is calling you to make tough decisions!

The church is not intended to be just a place for social belonging. It is a place where you are nourished and shaped to become more like Jesus. We have to treat it as such. Actually take its counsel to heart. Don’t just hear the word of God and nod approvingly of it, but actually ask yourself “HOW DO I TAKE MY LIFE and ALIGN IT WITH THE WORD OF GOD!” Women ask yourself how much authority do the sisters in this church have in my life? If I go left, can they pull me back and if not why not and how do I address that? Men ask yourself the same questions, if the brothers in this church don’t have enough authority in my life to call out my waywardness and put me back on track, why not and how do I address it?

The fact that these men are taking their trivial matters outside of the church suggests that the church doesn’t have a large enough role in the shaping of their lives.

Here’s another reason Paul is asking “How dare you go to unbelievers!”

Reason #2: The Lawsuit Shows An Absence of An Eternal Vision

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 ESV

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!

Paul comes out in verses 2-3 swinging for the FENCES as he continues to address the “WHY” for his words in verse 1, “does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?”

“Does he dare take his trivial matters to the outsiders rather than handling them internally in the life of the church?”

In verses 2 and 3 Paul is is making so UNBELIEVABLE statements, statements that have COSMIC and ETERNAL implications for us if we take them to be true!

First Statement: The children of God will judge the world!!!

Second Statement: The children of God will judge angels!!!

JUST STOP for a MOMENT AND TAKE IN THOSE TWO REALITIES.

Fallible and sinful man…You and I...will be transformed into the image of Christ in such a way and conformed into the likeness of Christ so much so that one day WE WILL TAKE PART IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD AND IN THE JUDGMENT OF ANGELS.

This is a truth that is hinted at in Daniel 7:22 when Daniel prophesies “22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.”

We also hear hints of it after Peter asks Jesus in Matthew 19 “what will we get in return for leaving everything and following you?”, and Jesus responds in Matthew 19:28 with this: “28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

We will judge the world and we will judge the most powerful created beings in the entire known universe.

Now we don’t know how that will look, and we don’t know the full cosmic assignment in all of its details, but I don’t believe that is the point Paul is trying to make.

Paul is trying to turn the gaze of the church from the natural and temporary to the supernatural and eternal.

Paul is saying here in verse 2-3 that if God is preparing us for such a monumental and enormous task as judging the world and angels, is it too much to ask to have you judge these more trivial matters?

Is it too much to ask for the church to serve as fair arbitrators in petty cases?

Is it too much to ask for the church to judge whether one of our church members should be owed money for rent or should be paid for work done for another church member?

I would venture to say that what keeps us not only unable to resolve trivial disputes between Christian family but actually involved in trivial disputes between Christian family in the first place is that we don’t take in the cosmic and eternal implications of what God is doing in us as we should.

YOU AND I are being prepared for ETERNITY HERE. The way in which we engage with one another and love one another. The way in which we learn to forgive one another and look past one another’s faults. The way in which we resolve our disputes with Gospel ethics. The way in which we handle our disagreements in the way of Jesus and not our own flesh is ALL preparing us for our judgment in the ETERNAL Kingdom.

On the flip side note what Paul says in verse 4

1 Corinthians 6:4 ESV

4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?

Those on the outside aren’t being renewed spiritually, they aren’t being prepared for eternity, and they aren’t being challenged and taught to embrace the way of Jesus. So, why would they be called on to settle trivial disputes amongst people who are?

When we are going this route to settle disputes, it probably speaks more to where we are than where the outsiders are.

It means that we’ve lost sight eternity. And when you view life the same way the world views it, don’t be surprised when you are more inclined to resolve troubles in life the same way the world solves them...

HOW WE VIEW THE FUTURE IMPACTS HOW WE LIVE IN THE PRESENT!

Now before I move on to the next reason…let me offer one caveat.

Pay attention to Paul’s last words in verse 2...“are you incompetent to try trivial cases?”

I believe the distinction between trivial or as he says in the next verse “matters pertaining to this life” and non-trivial matters is important and layered.

First, I believe Paul in a sense is pointing to this idea that all matters in this life are trivial when compared to the judging of angels and the world in eternity. So, how can you be prepared for the heavier judgments to come when you want judge rightly the lighter matters now.

But I believe that Paul more literally is actually speaking about TRIVIAL cases. Not MAJOR CRIMES, Not Capital Offenses.

One reason I believe that to be the case is because of what Paul tells us in Romans 13

Romans 13:1–5 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Paul’s point is that we shouldn’t resist when government is pursuing justice and serving its people through the upholding of laws that punish evil and allow for its citizens to flourish.

This is why this is important in light of our reading this morning. I’ve seen people use this text in 1 Corinthians 6 in unnatural ways that leaves victimized people further damaged in victimized. I’ve seen folks use these verses for why we shouldn’t take cases of physical domestic abuse to the courts or cases of sexual abuse to the courts because these are trivial matters in light of eternity and the church should be able to handle them. Let me say UNEQUIVOCALLY I don’t believe Paul has that in mind at all and neither do we.

So, with that in mind, if we come across matters of domestic abuse or sexual abuse that have an ounce of credibility, we will report such matters to the authorities and let them handle.

We will not allow the word of God to be leveraged as a weapon to further victim those who have already been victimized and suffered greatly. We will defend those who have been exploited and abused like we would our own blood daughters and sons and our own blood sisters and brothers.

Alright, with that said let’s turn to the 3rd and final reason for this morning for why Paul asks, “How dare you go to unbelievers!”

Reason #3: The Lawsuit Shows An Absence of Gospel Grace

1 Corinthians 6:7–8 ESV

7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

One translation renders this “Why not rather be cheated?

Just think about your gut reaction when you hear that...

Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Some of you heard those words and said to yourself, “NO SIR, NOT ME, PAUL! Find you another sucker...”

And Paul’s response to that would be “By trying to not be a sucker in that moment , you’re causing us all to be losers.”

1 Corinthians 6:7a (ESV)

7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you...

When Christians can’t suffer being cheated, they’ve lost the battle. When they have to win every petty dispute to be satisfied, they’ve lost the battle. They’ve adopted the way of their surrounding culture over the way of Jesus and they’ve lost their distinction in a world that DESPERATELY NEEDS IT!

I said at the beginning of this message that the world around us can be so filled with certain philosophies and ideals that run contrary to the Scriptures that we can become captive to those same philosophies and not even realize it…this IS CERTAINLY THE CASE when it comes to how we show grace to one another and grace to the world around us.

We say because we’re swimming in the cultural waters “I CANNOT let anyone get over on me because that is a sign of weakness”

God says “vengeance is mine thus says the Lord. I will repay!”

And let me just say that one way that vengeance should manifest itself is through a church performing healthy discipline when its members are cheating other members...

We say “I CANNOT let anyone get over on me because the world will look at me and think I’m a mark”

Jesus says Matt 5:43-45 “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

You say “man, listen I ain’t going to let people just run over me?”

Jesus says “I asked you to follow me and they did more than run over me they crucified me!”

This is one of the areas Christians have the opportunity to most reflect their savior…in the way that they administer grace to those in that may not demonstrate that they deserve it

BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT CHRIST DID FOR YOU AND FOR ME!!!!!

He suffered the wrong committed by you and I. The wrong that earned us HELL. The wrong that left us on the outside of the Kingdom of God and facing eternity absent of God’s presence.

See it in verse 9-10

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 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.

It’s as if Paul is saying:

you’re watching those on the outside and saying to yourself, I want to imitate how they resolve their issues. They don’t let anybody take advantage of them. They don’t let people walk over them. If somebody cheats them, they get every penny back…In fact they have sex with whoever they want whenever they want and they throw the wildest parties in the world, and they drink as much as they want, and they get rich and they don’t let anybody get in their way and it seems like life is so much better and satisfying that way.

Paul’s response to that would be but they are missing out on the Kingdom of God! Not just the eternal Kingdom but the right now Kingdom, the place where Joy Unspeakable exists…the place where peace that passes all understanding exists...

Instead of pursuing a route that seems like it will lead to satisfaction but ultimately will lead no where check out where grace leads...

1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV

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.

Paul is calling the Corinthians to embrace the reality of grace by which they’ve been saved so deeply that they are no longer bothered in the same way by wrongs against them...

That’s the aim and the goal.

Is the reality of the Jesus’ salvation of you by his dying on the cross for you resting so prominently in you that wrongs against you no longer land on you the way they once did!

So, How Do We Not Repeat the Same Mistakes?

1. Rid Ourselves of Our Hyper-Individualism

One of the reasons why church has so little impact on our daily lives is because most of us have been swept up in the cultural waters of HYPER-INDIVIDUALISM.

We do what we want, when we want, and how we want to do it. And if the church can get on board with that cool, if it cannot well we’ll just have to find another church.

Here’s one way this plays out. We show up to church one Sunday and we read a text we don’t like. The hard left leaning guy hears about the sanctity of life in the sermon. The hard right leaning guy hears in the same sermon the call to welcome the stranger and immigrant and treat them with kindness and generosity as image bearers of the most High God.

They both get mad and leave the church....Why? Did the preacher change the truth of God’s word? Nope.

Why did they leave then? Because that truth cut against their own personal doctrine and in today’s culture, OUR own personal doctrine is elevated above the doctrine of Christ.

It ultimately doesn’t matter what Jesus says. It matters what I think, and ME and JESUS are totally good just as long as JESUS’s values match my values.

However, when His values stop matching mine, I’m not going to reevaluate my values, I’m going to go and find another church that will either better align with my values or worst case, just don’t touch that part of my life.

Because of our HYPER-INDIVIDUALISM, this is how way too many of us operate. So many don’t join a church looking to be transformed and sanctified. They join a church looking to be affirmed in their behaviors and ideas, and dare I say even “coddled”.

Here’s what one pastor and writer has to say about this phenomenon

“The [EXPRESSIVE INDIVIDUALIST’S] way is for you to chart your own course. If the church gets behind your life choices, great! But if the church were to challenge your behavior or attitude, you’d suddenly claim that your life story is no one else’s business....Again, expressive individualism does not empty the church of its members. It merely fills the pews with people who see their church attendance as another expression of their own identities, an aid in their own pursuit of happiness. The church has limited, if any, real authority. The mighty Me stays enthroned, even when the mighty Me is in the church pew.”

I heard another pastor put it this way in the context of one’s politics: “[I’ve] heard of many congregants leaving their church because it didn’t match their politics, but [I’ve yet to hear of someone changing their politics because it didn’t match their church’s teaching.”

He goes on to say this: “We have failed to teach people that sometimes scripture is most useful when it doesn’t say what we want it to say, because then it is correcting us.”

Have you died to your hyper-individualism or even hyper tribalism enough to allow the Words of God to bring correction to your life???!!!

2. See the Church the Way Jesus Sees the Church?

Not a social club but the eternal bride of Christ.

Not a place for us to get our “Jesus” fix on a Sunday but an assembly of people who collectively share the responsibility with the help of the Spirit of helping each grow more and more in the image and likeness of Jesus.

The church is a channel of grace for your transformation if you would embrace as such and allow its authority to have authority in your life...

Healthy suspicion of institutions, of leadership, of teaching…there are false teachers, there are false doctrines.

But have just as much of a healthy suspicion of yourself!

When your opinions and values are running contrary to the church and its historic teachings, have enough suspicion of yourself to try and test your values to see if they truly be in God...

3. Extend the Same Grace That You’ve Received!

Am I growing in grace. Am I seeing more and more people as candidates of my grace because I’m seeing more and more people as recipients of God’s grace?

And if I’m not, ask yourself the question why not?

Is the news creating more enemies in your heart than candidates of grace? Cut it off!

Are your circles of friends through gossip and hyper criticism creating more enemies in your heart than candidates of grace? Call them out!

Is your social media through algorithms of fear and hype, turn it off!

Whatever is keeping you from being a well of grace, a well of forgiveness instead of grievance machine, raging about your way, your rights, your needs, your wants, discard it...