Single's Mind: "God, Don't You Care If I Ever Get Married?" Series

Single’s Mind: "God, Don’t You Care If I Ever Get Married?"

Text: 1Cor.7:25-35

vacMidway – Sun. Nov. 6, 2005

0. INTRODUCTION:

(The pastor should be on the pulpit presiding over the offering before the sermon as usual. One of the ushers should dress like Jesus. The pastor should explain that we dress an usher as Jesus so that we could remember why we are taking these offerings.

Offering should be taken from the back to the front. When it gets to the front rows, this conversation breaks out between Jesus and a man in the congregation...)

Jesus: Hi, would you like to give an offering?

Man: Sure, I’ll give you an offering (As he pulled a few bills out of his wallet, a couple credit cards fell out too.)

Jesus: What are those?

Man: Oh, those are my credit cards.

Jesus: You’ve got credit cards?I’d like those too.

Man: What? (Slowly handed over his Visa and MasterCard)Boy, I guess all I can use now to pay things is my checking account.

Jesus: You’ve got a checking account?

Man: Well, yeah... Here, if the cash isn’t enough, I’ll write you a check.

Jesus: Just give me the whole checkbook.

Man: The whole checkbook??? (Astounded) Then how will I make the payment on my car?

Jesus: You’ve got a car?

Man: I suppose you want my car?

Jesus: Yeah!

Man: But how will I get to my job?

Jesus: You’ve got a job??

Man: Yes...

Jesus: Well, I’d like your job.I mean; I’d like to have control over how you do your job.

Man: OK... Well, at least my home is still my own castle, right?

Jesus: You’ve got a home??

Man: Yeah... What? - You want my house?

Jesus: I want to be the ruler of your house.

Man: Boy, this is all really something. I wonder what my wife will say when I tell her about this...

Jesus: You’ve got a wife??

Man: You want her too???

Jesus: Yes, and your children. Especially if you think they’re yours.

Man: And I suppose you want me too? (The man said in something of a combination of amazement, surrender, and relief).

Jesus: Bingo! Yes, I want you, all of you.

(Pastor will start the message by commenting the skit[i])

So what do you think about that? In a sense, it is true that God wants you. All of you! But in another sense, does God literally want your car, your house, or even your love life too?

In the early churches, some people got super-spiritual and started promoting an ascetic life-style. Some people in the Corinthian church might have taught that you should solely focus on the “spiritual” life:

- If you are “spiritual”, then perhaps no matter what you do and how you live, you are still belong to God. (This explained the sexual immorality seen in Chapter 5 and 6).

- If you are “spiritual”, then perhaps married people should just treat each others as brothers and sisters instead of husband and wife.

- If you are “spiritual” and your spouse isn’t, then perhaps you should leave him or her to pursuing God.

- And if you are “spiritual” then perhaps the unmarried people should not even get married at all. (This explained the questions Paul was answering in Chapter 7).

As we continue our series “Symbiosis – Life Together”, last week we learned about marriages and this week we will continue with the issues of singleness. Today we will focus on verses 25-35 of 1st Corinthians 7, which is part of Paul’s correction about the spiritual misconceptions above:

25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. 27Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. 29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

[Prayer]

1. MOTIVATION:

Some of you probably rolled your eyes when you see the title of the message today: “God, don’t you care if I ever get married?” May be some would even be offended, but no doubt that would be the prayer we all pray as we growing up.