Living Single Series

This is Us: Living Single

1 Corinthians 7

“ I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am.”

1 Corinthians 7:8

How is it good to be single?

1. You may be called to a single life. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

“Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.” v.24

2. You may have a more peaceable life. vv.25-28

“Such people will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.” v.28,

3. You may have greater impact for Christ. vv.29-31

“This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time is limited.” v.29

4. You may have more intimacy with Christ. vv.32-35

“I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.”

At Rush Creek, we are doing all we can with engaged couples to prepare for and experience a great and godly marriage. We have multiple ministries to help those who are already married to have a great and godly marriage. Marriages have been salvaged, rescued, and strengthened. We feel that responsibility deeply.

But we also feel a deep responsibility for those of us who are not married. About 35% of the demographic around our campus is made up of single adults and I think our campus reflects that same percentage.

Personally, I was single until I was 30 and when I went into career ministry, was the single adult pastor of about 1500 singles.

Single adults are such a big part of who we are as a church. They serve in our media ministry, worship ministry, children’s ministry, small group ministry, connections ministry, and compassion ministry. I am so thankful for the single men and women who are a part of Rush Creek.

Now, when I say single, I’m using the term in a traditional way. In today’s parlance, if you’re dating someone, you’re NOT single. I was talking with someone who is dating someone and mentioned that she was single and she informed me she was NOT single, she was in a serious relationship. So I was confused. I said, “But you’re not married, right?” She said, “No” Then I said, “Well, then you’re single.” “No, I’m not.” This went back and forth until I said, “What do you check on your income tax, married or single” She reluctantly relented…

In the series, This is Us, one of the triplets, Kevin (pic) is single. His two siblings are married and there are times he feels like a fifth wheel whenever he’s around them. That’s fairly common for singles: when everyone else is coupled up, they sometimes feel like an extra.

But if you’re a single here at Rush Creek, I want to affirm that you’re not a 5th wheel and you serve an important role here at Rush Creek. Single adults have been a part of God’s story throughout the Bible and are a part of our story here at Rush Creek.

In fact, the Bible affirms that it’s good to be single. 1 Corinthians 7:8 says, “ I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am.”

The Apostle Paul affirms this fact: It is good to be single. How is it good to be single?

1. You may be called to a single life. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

In these verses, Paul is making this one point summed up in v.24 “Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.”

Through various circumstances, it is clear that some people are called by God to be single. These circumstances can come in different forms. I’ve known people who have never been married and who really believed God called them to a life of celibacy. Later in this discourse, Paul makes that claim about himself. Others have come to that belief after a failed marriage. They feel called to live a godly single life for the foreseeable future. They leave the door open for marriage, but they feel called to live their lives now being content with and even rejoicing in their single status. I’ve also known more than one person who had same sex attractions and accepts God’s will for their lives that they can’t engage in homosexual behavior, so they’ve sworn to a life of celibacy.

All this to say: the single life can be a good thing because that’s where God has called you.

2. You may have a more peaceable life. vv.25-28

In these verses, Paul is making the point that, yes, it’s ok to be married, but as he says in v.28, “Such people will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.”