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Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
WRONG EXPECTATIONS:
When some of us first come to faith in Christ, we are sometimes told or even we sometimes assume that not only are our spiritual lives about to change but our physical status is about to change for the better as well.
We often come into the Faith with this expectation that because Christ is God and I'm now a servant of Christ that he is going to raise me to a glorious status: The marriage I always dreamed of is going to happen, the career I always wanted is going to happen, The companion I've been searching for is finally going to find me..."I mean why wouldn't!"
This text is intended to help us come to grips with the reality that this does not always happen but even more importantly, this text is built to help us understand what to do when this doesn't happen
God CALLS US TO CONDITIONS
God CALLS US TO CONDITIONS
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
- The Lord HAS ASSIGNED TO HIM
- The Lord HAS CALLED HIM
When you look through Scripture, it is clear that our gifting and talents are appointed sovereignly by God...
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Our Spiritual Gifting is assigned by God to profit the common
Also, when you look through Scripture, it is clear that our ministries are appointed sovereignly by God...
13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.
Your sphere of influence is ultimately assigned to you no matter how big or small. God is behind the scenes determining where it goes and where you go...
However, one thing that may be sometimes difficult to come to terms with is the reality that not only are our giftings and ministries assigned to us by God, but even our unique situations and positions in life are assigned by God, meaning if you are in an favorable position or even an unfavorable position in life, it is not necessarily the result of God not being with you.
Take, for example, the position that Paul most likely has in mind here in chapter 7...
The Corinthian Christian who is now married to an unbeliever.
A Corinthian comes to saving Faith in Jesus Christ and instead of the rest of their family joining them in this newfound Faith, this new believer’s relationship with Jesus totally disrupts the dynamic of their home and family to the point of driving the unbelieving spouse further away.
Now natural law and popular wisdom would say…”well you guys have just grown apart so just leave”, but Paul would say, “no God has assigned you there…as long as there is no unfaithfulness in the form of sex or abuse God in fact has purpose for you and still can use you in that marriage.”
But say that this new relationship with Jesus is so disruptive to the wants and desires of the unbelieving spouse that they decide that they’ve had enough and they leave the marriage...
Paul’s words are just as shocking and unnatural to the cultural wisdom of the the day because what he is in fact inferring is that one who finds themselves in such a situation need not despair because this could very well be an assignment from God as well!
FAVOR IN CALLING
We too often look at the people whose lives are being lived in the most favorable conditions as the only ones that have God's blessing.
We see the wealthy, the healthy, the beautiful, the popular, and the powerful and we say to ourselves, "God's hand is REALLY on them!" and for many of them that may, in fact, be true, but let me be clear, it is no less true for the single mother who is faithfully walking with Jesus while working two jobs and caring for a child with special needs. It is no less true for the man who has sacrificially loved Jesus and his wife but she has abandoned him for another man who makes her laugh more. It is no less true for some of you in this room or listening online who are struggling at this very moment to make ends meet and keep bills paid. It is no less true for many of you struggling in your bodies each and every and pressing through the pain, tears, and suffering to give God praise, glory, and honor.
God's hand can be on those whose physical conditions are favorable, but time and time again and Scripture after Scripture has shown us that it can on those whose conditions are not.
Paul’s point is, even in the midst of less than idea circumstances, God can be very present and not only very present but very at work empowering you to live in those circumstances bringing him GLORY and HONOR!
In the midst of trying conditions, we must remember that God has not lost control nor has He lost sight of us. He is present and sovereign.
APPLICATION: Oftentimes, when we are in less than ideal situations whether that be marital, social, career, financial, whatever, the only question that we seem to be concerned with is how do I get out?! Even when the situations are good but not perfect, we’re still fix all of our attention on the one question, “how can I get out of this and get to the perfect place”
However, God is challenging us to introduce another question into the calculation...
We must replace this first question of “how can I get out of this situation, position, or circumstance” with “how can the Lord get GLORY out of me IN THIS situation, position, or circumstance.
The first question is not how do I get out of these conditions? The first question is how do I LIVE for Jesus while I’m in this condition?
How do I bring glory and honor to Christ while my spouse is unbelieving? How do I show them the love of Christ and lead my children well by example?
How do I bring glory and honor to Christ in the JOB that I have! How do I show forth his glory amongst my coworkers?
How do I bring glory and honor to Christ in my current financial situation? How do I show he’s worthy even when I don’t have much? How do I best bring him glory and honor when I have more than enough? How do I live for him in a sacrificial way to demonstrate that my trust in not in riches but it is in Christ!
Joni Eareckson Tada is possibly one of the most Godly women of this generation. She suffered a horrific accident at 17 years old leaving her paralyzed from the shoulders down and making her a quadriplegic for the rest of her life. Today, at 72 years old, she is probably considered one of the most important voices on Christian suffering and disability. She is the founder and CEO of Joni and Friends. She has had for the last 40 years a 5 minute radio show that is heard each weekday on over a 1000 broadcast outlets and she is the author of nearly 50 books on the topic of Christianity and suffering.
This is a woman who understands the question: How can I bring God glory in my present unfavorable circumstances?
She once spoke of the dueling purposes of God and Satan in our unfavorable circumstances. Here’s what she said:
“The truth of the matter is, Satan and God may want the exact same event to take place - but for different reasons. Satan's motive in Jesus' crucifixion was rebellion; God's motive was love and mercy. Satan was a secondary cause behind the Crucifixion, but it was God who ultimately wanted it, willed it, and allowed Satan to carry it out. And the same holds true for disease.”
God doesn’t need favorable circumstances to use you for His glory. So no matter what your situation looks like LIVE YOUR LIFE for His Glory in it!
Paul’s Support
Paul’s Support
Paul knows that what he is saying is EXTREMELY hard teaching to subscribe to.
So, he offers up two supporting statements to help us understand that he is in no way misspeaking or confused about what he is calling us to...
The first statement is found at the end of verse 17
1 Corinthians 7:17 “17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.”
This is not something that is unique to this Corinthian church in this Corinthian season. This is the call of every Christian in every church…You are bound at some point in your Christian life to enter UNFAVORABLE circumstances...
Maybe you get saved but your spouse doesn’t...
Maybe you get looked over continuously for a job or a promotion...
Maybe you or a loved one gets deathly ill...
Paul’s encouragement to use the initial energy and use most of our energy to focus on walking in this condition in such a way that we bring God glory and honor is not a rule for a specific person or a specific church it is a rule for the Christian.
The second supporting statement is found in the next two verses. Pick up with me in verse 18.
18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
In order to really drive home this point,
Paul puts in front of us one of the most important measures of status in his traditions and customs as a Jewish man....
One theologian describes these words in verse 19…Circumcision counts for nothing nor uncircumcision as one of the most amazing sentences that Paul ever wrote. He continues with this, “Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more un-Jewish statement than Paul’s opening words [in this verse]...”
To many within Paul’s tradition circumcision was not only something, but it was everything! It was the mark that you belonged to the covenant community. To discount it was to in many ways, reject everything. Reject your family’s traditions, reject your cultural values, reject your social status.
APPLICATION: This is soooooo counter cultural, but not just for Paul and the Corinthians, but for us as well!
Our cultural is all about answer two questions: Who are you? Who are you becoming?
And all of our energy is devoted to answering those two questions in life...
We want to see AUTONOMY and AMBITION?
In other words, we want to see you wrap all of your energy in exercising freedom to become somebody…and you get to define that, no matter how fantastical that is…but we also want to see you use as much energy as possible exercising ambition to become somebody…We are constantly bombarded by the ads, by the celebrities, by social media telling us to go and get more so we can bolster our status and become somebody…because that’s what matters!
But into that philosophical quicksand walks Paul and he basically declares that in Christ, your status in your community, in your family, in your career, amongst your peers is not the ultimate thing any more.
If not, then what matters to Paul?
19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
The most important status change in my life is the status change from ENEMY of God to FRIEND of God.
And so in light of that most important status change, the most important actions that we can pursue is not the actions of changing our status from poor to rich, from single to married, from employee to CEO. Rather the most important actions that we can pursue is SIMPLY DOING the WILL of God...
Paul is saying because you are now a child of God, that is the status that matters…and so the actions that should matter that flow out of that status is to pursue the walk in the will and way of Jesus!
Paul takes this further in verses 20-23…by flattening worldly status
20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.
Paul shows us the insignificance of worldly status in the Kingdom by flattening the status...
Are you in bondage in the world’s system?remember you are FREE in CHRIST
Are you free in the world’s system?
remember you are belong to Jesus
In several places in Scripture we see this flattening of status...
James the brother of Jesus declares...
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
Jesus, the brother of James, and the SAVIOR of the WORLD declares in Matthew 20:16
16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
We see even in Scripture a
SIDE NOTE: Notice what Paul says in Verse 21.
21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)
Our contentment with our status in God is not a call to remain in an unfavorable position if there is a way to remain in his will and get out of the situation...
In other words, for those who are sick, do not reject the therapies, treatments, and of course the prayers for healing because you’re saying to yourself, well this is my lot in life.
Those who are in unfavorable position that won’t adequately pay for your necessities, don’t reject the opportunities and prayers to further develop your skills, your knowledge, and your marketability in order to position yourself for better career opportunity...
Paul’s call to be content with being in God is not a call to not pursue better positions. His call is a call to not be so moved by it that it disrupts and distracts you from pursuing God’s glory right where you are or that it fools you into believing that God can’t use you for his glory right where you are!!!!
24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
Herein lies the key to doing this…in order to live in whatever condition the Lord has called us and live well for His glory...
Whether rich, whether poor, whether strong, whether weak...
Christ Has Empowered Us
Christ Has Gone Before Us
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Christ took on the worse status...
We are able to live in whatever condition when we look to the conditions the Savior lived in that brought us salvation...
Christ Has Gone Ahead of Us...
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
“...we will stand amazed to see the topside of the tapestry and how God beautifully embroidered each circumstance into a pattern for our good and His glory.”