Reading: 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 12-20:
Ill:
• One day a little girl asked her dad a question;
• “Dad, where did I come from?”
• An embarrassed Dad nervously replied; “Good question, when you were little a stork flew over our house and left you in a basket on our doorstep, one day we opened up the door and there you were!”
• Then she asked her mum a similar question;
• “Mum, where did you come from?”
• Mum replied; “Good question, well, one day a stork flew over your Grandma’s house and left me in a basket on the doorstep!”
• Still not convinced the little girl asked her Grandma the same question;
• “Grandma, where did you come from?”
• Grandma replied; “Good question, one day a stork flew over your great Grandma’s house and left me on the doorstep”.
• The little girl wrote in her school homework book;
• “There has not been a natural birth in our family for three generations!”
At times we may get embarrassed talking about sex:
• But the Bible isn’t!
• It speaks very straight indeed about the good use and the misuse of the gift of sex.
• In Corinth nobody got embarrassed talking about sex.
• It was in your face!
• The city was sex mad;
• ill: Similar today to say visiting Bangkok or certain parts of Amsterdam or Soho.
Ill:
• As you looked over the city skyline your eyes would gaze upon;
• The temple to Aphrodite.
• And every evening the 1,000 priests and priestesses (male and female prostitutes);
• Would come down from the temple into the streets to ply their trade.
• Sex with prostitutes was part of their pagan religion;
• And therefore it was assumed to be the norm.
When the message of Christianity started to spread in the city of Corinth:
• It cut across the grain;
• With its different morals and its distinctive view of sex.
• New converts to Jesus Christ were facing tough choices;
• Their traditions and culture said one thing regarding sex.
• But their Bible (O.T. only) and their Pastor – the Apostle Paul taught something else.
The Corinthian Christians may have misunderstood Paul’s teaching,
• If not they certainly misapplied it;
• The Corinthian Church seemed to have divided themselves into two groups.
• First:
• There were some Christians who were outright permissive.
• In their views regarding sex.
• These Christians who were indistinguishable in their sexual morals;
• From the pagans round about them.
• They took the attitude; ‘Do whatever you want – God forgives us in Christ’.
• Second:
• There were other Christians who were outright revolted by all this sexual licence;
• In fact they became abstinent;
• Taking on the attitude that sex was bad – best to be avoided;
• And Paul deals with that particular attitude in chapter 7.
Note:
• In this section of this letter (vs 12-20), Paul deals with that first attitude:
• That ‘grace’ allows us to live how we like and practice whatever we like.
• In most modern translations of the Bible (i.e. N.I.V.);
• Three phrases in this passage are enclosed in quotations marks.
• Verse 12a: “I have the right to do anything,”
• Verse 12b: “I have the right to do anything”,
• Verse 13a: “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.”
• This is the editors’ way of showing us,
• That it appears the apostle Paul was quoting and then answering statements;
• That had been made to him, probably by the Corinthian Christians.
Notice:
• That Paul quotes these phrases back to them:
• But he also adds his commentary and explanation as to what they mean.
• “I have the right to do anything -but not everything is beneficial.”
• “I have the right to do anything -but I will not be mastered by anything.”
• “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”
• Paul then gives these Corinthian Christians some further instruction;
• Notice that the key word in Paul’s argument is ’body’.
Ill:
• Body means a lot more in the New Testament than animal tissue.
• If you are an adult of average weight, here is what you accomplish in 24 hours:
• Your heart beats 103689 times
• Your blood travels 168,000,000 miles
• You breathe 23040 times
• You inhale 438 cubic feet of air
• You eat 3. 25 pounds of food
• You drink 2. 9 quarts of liquids
• You lose 7/8 pounds of waste
• You speak 4800 words, including some unnecessary ones
• You move 750 muscles
• Your nails grow . 000046 inch
• Your hair grows . 01714 inch
• You exercise 7,000,000 brain cells
Now ‘body’ in this letter means a lot more than simply a lump of meat:
• It means me (body, spirit & soul);
• I am a complete being, not separate compartments.
• I am a complete being in perfect harmony i.e. triune;
• And what happens to one part of me affects me as a whole.
Ill:
• In verse 16b Paul goes all the way back to the beginning of time;
• He uses the creation account (Genesis chapter 2 verse 24) to make his point.
• He says; when a man and woman join their bodies,
• Something mysterious and precious takes place.
• Sexual intercourse was given to express, consolidate and deepen;
• The ‘one flesh’ union of a man and a woman.
• God’s plan for sex was to not just give pleasure;
• But to make the two ‘one’.
• ‘Joined’ basically means "cling to" or "stick to,"
• ill: glued - to hold fast to someone in a permanent bond.
• Unlike a one night stand which is all over in a few hours;
• God plan always carries the idea of permanency, stability & protection.
As we scan over the passage – notice six things Paul says concerning the Body:
(1st). our body matters to God (vs 13b).
“The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,
and the Lord for the body”.
• The phrase ‘sexual immorality’ is referring to ‘sexual intercourse outside of marriage’;
• That is (1). Sex before marriage or (2). Sex with someone other than your spouse.
The apostle Paul says in verse 13:
• That our bodies were created by God.
• They are the instruments by which we worship and serve him.
Ill:
• If I had in my hand a very expensive, top of the range fountain pen.
• It would be a pleasure to use it for the purpose for which it was made i.e. to write with!
• But, if I try to use this fountain pen as a screwdriver or a chisel;
• Not only will it not accomplish that objective,
• But I will essentially ruin the pen for the purpose for which it was made.
So too with our bodies:
• God created them for a purpose;
• Within that purpose they bring please to our partners and ourselves;
• And glory to God our creator.
• Outside of that purpose;
• The emphasis changes to self-satisfaction & gratification.
• And God too is robbed of his pleasure and glory in us.
(2nd). our body will be raised (vs 14).
“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also”.
Ill:
• A school teacher took into her classroom a mixture of vegetables;
• She then asked the children to name some of the things that were on the table.
• One boy said; “Carrots”.
• Another said; “Potatoes”;
• Another said; “Peas”.
• The teacher then asked them the question:
• “Can anyone give me a word that covers all these things?”
• There was a few minutes silence;
• Then one little boy shouted out; “Gravy!”
Like that little boy the Corinthians had not quite grasped the point regarding appetites:
• The Corinthians seemed to have quoted to Paul;
• What many believe to be a proverb of their day:
• “Food for the belly and the belly for food”.
• The meaning of his proverb in this context was simple;
• Sex like eating is a natural appetite that needs satisfying!
• You eat when you are hungry;
• And you have sex when you have sexual urges.
The apostle Paul replies:
• There’s a big difference between our appetite for food and our appetite for sex.
• Paul tells us that the food-stomach arrangement is temporary.
• It is intended to last for this lifetime only;
• God has no eternal plans for the stomach.
• The biological process has no place in the eternal state.
But God does have eternal plans for the body.
• The body was designed for much more than biological functions;
• “The body …for the Lord, and the Lord for the body”.
• Our bodies are designed not only to survive in this life;
• But also in the life to come!
• Note: They will of course be changed bodies, resurrected bodies, glorified bodies;
• Heavenly bodies – but they will still be our bodies!
Ill:
• Same as Jesus’ body.
• His resurrected body was the same but different and different but the same!
Ill:
Paul explains this in much greater detail in chapter 15.
• ill: Seeds - the seed you plant is different from what grows from it,
• Life continues after its own kind,
• Yet the end product is different, from what you have sown.
The same destiny which awaited Christ’s body at the resurrection:
• Is the same destiny that awaits every Christian at the last day;
• Both transformation and continuity.
(3rd). our body is indwelt by the Holy Spirit as his temple (vs 19).
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
• Because the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian;
• He naturally seeks our holiness.
Ill:
• Years ago there was a preacher who used to ride around England on horseback;
• Wherever he went he would preach on the topic of ‘holiness’.
• Somebody said to him on one occasion;
• What’s the matter with you – every time you open the Bible you speak on holiness”
• The preacher replied;
• “I don’t have to open the Bible, look it’s there on the cover!”
• Because the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian;
• He naturally seeks our holiness.
Ill:
I like that term ‘temple’.
• He did not say tent or caravan or flat or even house.
• His choice of words are quite specific – temple!
A temple was no ordinary place:
• In the Old Testament it symbolised where God was,
• It was a sacred and special place that was to be treated with the up most respect and care.
Ill:
• At half-term we went as a family to visit my mum for a few days.
• One of the days we went into Coventry city centre,
• And I started showing my children places I used to go to when I was there age.
• We took the to the two cathedrals that Coventry has;
• The old one (that remains a ruined shell after its bombing during the 2nd World War.);
• And the new one built in the 1950’s to complement the former.
• Whether you are into visiting old Cathedrals and Churches or not;
• You have to be impressed with their history.
• Some of them took hundreds of years to build,
• Using the finest craftsmanship possible.
• They wanted to give God their very best,
• ill: Carvings under the seat! (out of sight to the general public but not to God)
In a similar way our body is a wonderful and grand creation by God:
• It is something to be cared for and valued and treated with respect.
• What I do with my body;
• Says a lot to people around me about how I value the God who made me.
(4th). our body is harmed by immorality (vs 18).
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
• Although sexual sin is not the worst sin a Christian can commit;
• It is the most unique in its character.
• Sins like drunkenness and gluttony are an abuse of the body;
• They (alcohol & food) are introduced from outside the body.
• But sexual immorality arises from within the body.
• Therefore involving the whole person and so the whole being is violated by this sin.
• The effects are psychological, spiritual and theological.
• Fornication is a sin against God, against the other person involved;
• And against the fornicators own body.
Notice:
• Paul’s apostolic advice;
• On how to handle the arousal of sexual desire outside of marriage:
• "When tempted, get out of there! Don’t flirt with temptation. Flee!"
• If you find yourself attracted to someone you can not or should not have,
• Or if you struggle with the temptation of the Internet or cable TV,
• Or if you’re away from home and considering a visit to a prostitute,
• Or a place of indecent entertainment!
• The apostle Paul says “Flee temptation!”
• Don’t try to fight it or suppress it – instead get away from it!
• ill: Joseph in the OT is a great example of that!
(5th). our bodies are to be protected (vs 15-16).
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.””
ill:
At our house (23 Abshot Road) we are well protected:
• We have an alarm system with light boxes fitted back and front!.
• We have dead locks.
• We have window locks.
• We have taken all measures necessary to protect our home.
• If we do that for our material possessions;
• The question is: What are we doing for our eternal possessions?
In these verses the apostle Paul attacks the problem of prostitution that was rampant in Corinth:
• Temple prostitution was socially accepted in Corinth.
• It was seen as the norm.
• And some who had become Christians from this background;
• Were struggling to give up this practice of going to prostitutes for sex.
• So Paul says that sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other;
• Is a grievous sin that involves taking the human body,
• And using it in a ‘money for sex’ act with a woman not your wife;
• The apostle says every Christians body belongs to Christ – it is his property;
• Therefore to take it and misuse it an act of rebellion and robbery!
Ill:
• Sex outside of marriage is like a man robbing a bank:
• He gets something,
• But it is not his and he will one day pay for it.
Ill:
• Sex within marriage can be like a person putting money into a bank:
• There is safety, security, and he or she will also collect dividends.
• Sex within marriage can build a relationship that brings joys in the future;
• But sex apart from marriage has a way of weakening future relationships,
• As every Christian marriage counselor will tell you.
(6th). our body belongs to Christ (vs 19-20).
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.
Notice: Paul says three things to every Christian:
(1). “You are not your own”.
• We belong to God by creation.
• He made us and he is the one who gave us life!
• ill: Copyright – if you create something then you have ownership over it.
(2). “You were bought at great price”.
• We belong to God by redemption.
• “He purchased us not with silver & gold but with his precious blood”
• Quote: “Greater love has no man than this…..for his friends”
Ill:
• On this remembrance Sunday;
• We are thinking of those who gave their lives for our freedom.
(3). “Honour God with your body”.
• Not just your voices or your mind or your finances;
• But your body!
• Quote: Romans chapter 12 verse 1.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
The Message:
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Quote Bates:
“Head! Think ye of him whose brow was thorn-girt.
Hands! Toil for him whose hands were nailed to the cross.
Feet! Speed to do his behests whose feet were pierced.
Body of mine! Be his temple whose body was wrung with pains unspeakable”.
