Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Sometimes the questions we face can be life and death...

Left on a sinking ship were the captain and three sailors.

The captain spoke first.

"Men, this business about a captain going down with his ship is nonsense.

There's a three-man life raft on board and I'm going to be on it.

To see who will come with me, I will ask you each one question.

The one who can't answer will stay behind.

Here's the first question: What unsinkable ship went down when it hit an iceberg?"

The first sailor answered, "The Titanic, sir." "On to the next question: How many people perished?"

The second sailor said, "One thousand five hundred and seventeen, sir." "Now for the third question," and the captain turned to sailor number three.

"What were their names?"

To be a disiciple of Christ should mean that many of the questions of life and death have been answered.

THE WORLD NEEDS men and women...

who cannot be bought;

whose word is their bond;

who put character above wealth;

who possess opinions and a will;

who are larger than their vocations;

who do not hesitate to take chances;

who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;

who will be as honest in small things as in great things;

who will make no compromise with wrong;

whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;

who will not say they do it" because everybody else does it";

who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;

who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for success;

who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;

who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes."

Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.107-8.

For Paul, The testimony of changed lives is the focus.

and these qualities should be what could be said about any follower of Christ.

There were some in Corinth who although their church was a wreck…They wanted to live a powerful life that brought Glory to God.

They wanted the Gospel preached to thier friends and family that would liberate them from sin, like they were liberated...

Remember, Paul has made the argument that the relationships in the church have affected the preaching of the Gospel.

“We have been bought with a price the precious blood of Christ.”

this should be reflected in our singleness, or in our marriage in Chapters 6-7.

The truth is everybody will be single for some season of their life, and some will be married for a season of their life… either way, the focus of my life is to honor God, and find his strength to live for His glory.

I’ve been bought… I am a slave of Christ.

There is serious guidance for our life here.

If I am going to be single, be single for the glory of God, if im going to be married be married for the glory of God.

Some may be wondering if being single and serving God is going to be better, or if married life is going to be better.

Some may have young daughters to marry off, and they are wondering what to do.

Young people are waithing to get married but for the wrong reasons....

why are they waiting?

want to live free for a while...

want to enjoy travelling… etc...

it has nothign to do with the glory of GOd.

As an apostle, Paul makes application to the clear teachings of Christ, and gives insight on application: Remember, to be a disciple of Christ is seen in the great comission.

GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you.

Yes, Christ has given commands for our life… and we dont even know what they are.

So in teaching the church those things while he was there in Corinth, they are trying to make application.

They have sent word to Paul with many of the questions they had.

Now Paul is teaching those commands in terms of what Christ specifically said, and as those commands apply to the current questions.

Here Paul is talking to the betrothed, or the virgin.

Each of these sections is divided with that phrase.

All of this is in reference to questions they are asking.

To say betrothed…It is not speaking of sexual purity, but their marital status, and it can be male or female.

literally virgins.

parthenos: of a young woman of marriageable age, w. or without focus on virginity; (William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 777.)

Intersting: (Parthenon) of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens, from Greek Parthenōn, literally "temple of the virgin goddess" (Athene)

You can see in the context that Paul addresses both male and female.

This church may be messed up, but some really are concerned about living for Christ.

So much so they are asking should i even get married… or should i devote my life to service.

Should i encourage my kids to get married, or should i dedicate them to the Lord.

Like hannah turing over samuel to the temple…?

When looking at your future marital status there are four considerations that will help you glorify Christ in this.

What are the considerations?

2. Consider the challenge of limited time (7:25-35)

Married, widowed, the divorced, and now the pre-married.

whether contemplating marriage, or contemplating the gift of singleness…

Consider the context: All kinds of backgrounds...Sex trafficking was big business in Corinth: “the merchants and soldiers who went there squandered all their money so that the following proverb arose in reference to them: “Not for every man is the voyage to Corinth.”

According to Christ: (Matthew 19:12)  “For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

This seems to be what Paul refers to in the gifting of singleness.

v26 “Current distress”: You might think he is merely talking about the conflict in the church, but there is a bigger picture as he explains.

v 28 “worldly troubles”:

v 29 “time is short” The time has been shortened - Time (kairos) refers to a definite period of time, like a season (for growing wheat, etc), and once it passes, it is over.

“This is not going to last long.

Very soon it will be over.”

Literally this could be read as "“the opportunity is compressed, or shut in," the point being that time is short with reference to its opportunities.

NLT "The time that remains is very short."

v 31 “the present world is passing away”

Are we living and making decisions as if the return of christ was imminent?

Ill: << Ive seen this with single people…for some all they do is go on vacation all the time… they work to play… the largest segment of the population is your age group… and you are the primary people to reach your age group.

There was a guy early in my ministry that could never serve… never could commit to things.. Family is a real priority… Church plant, when the guy left, i thought its really going to hurt us… the guy keeping our books said… dont worry… you gave more than he did.

If wasn’t long before he had an affair on his wife… i said to myself( you might not have had time for that if you were serving the Lord.)

IN the Phillipines there was a IMB missionary…this was about 15 years ago...Bill Hyde.

at 60 years old he and his wife went to the mission field.

He was a music teacher… ended up going to the mission field.

I terroist blew a bomb up and killed him, his wife had serious to remove shrapnel… What a waste…?!? right.

Wrong.

What a way to enter eternity… to know that his life was sacrificed to make CHrist known … Jihadist blowing themselves up and killing people is one thing… believers giving their life to tell others about Christ is the way to enter heaven.

>>

Arg:

Matthew 6:33 (ESV) — 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Application: If you are going to remain single, don’t just learn to live an adventurous life… spending all your time travelling, or learning to hang-glide… or hiking… use your freedom to serve Christ.

You are not bound… Pour into ministry and serve.

Be trained… through the church.

Go to to the mission field, serve Christ no matter how difficult times become.