SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU
1 Cor. 6:9-11
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Quitting
1. A man up North was shoveling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him.
2. “Shovel your snow, Mister?” one of them asked. “Only two dollars!” Puzzled, the man replied, “Can’t you see that I’m doing it myself?”
3. “Sure,” said the enterprising lad; “that’s why we asked. We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting!”
4. LESSON: “It’s always too soon to quit!”
B. TEXT
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor [slanderers], nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. NKJV
C. THESIS
1. God has revealed Himself as a God who loves the sinner but hates all sin. All humans have sinned. But God so loved us that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. We must repent of our sins and receive Him into our hearts as our Savior.
2. God warns us that a day is coming when God will judge everyone in the world – that includes you and me. We will have to stand before Him and give an account of our lives.
3. If we ignore this warning and keep on sinning, Jesus Christ Himself will utter the awful sentence,
“Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.” Let no man say that God looks lightly on sin. Only the blood of God’s dear Son can save us; He’s the great atoning sacrifice of God.
4. Today we’re looking at the power of God’s grace. 1 Cor. 6:9-11 can be divided into 3 parts: first, God identifies those He will shut out of the kingdom of God; secondly is the reminder, “and such were some of you;” thirdly, the marvelous change that can result from our repentance & obedience, “but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
I. A SOLEMN SENTENCE
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” When I read this list of gross & shameful sins, it’s not to condemn anybody, but that all of us might find God’s pardon.
A. FORNICATORS
1. “Do not be deceived...fornicators…will [not] inherit the kingdom of God.” The first set of sinners mentioned in this terrible catalogue are “fornicators” — men and women who have been guilty of sexual immorality, but who are unmarried.
2. Approximately 9% of couples in the USA are cohabiting. The Bible is clear that this group shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
3. Some will say, “The preacher shouldn’t mention subjects like this.” But if WE don’t address them in church, then that gives the world or the enemy the power to educate the next generation on these issues.
4. Many people excuse cohabiting as a marital preliminary or because ‘if you love someone, it’s okay.’ No, God says it’s a sin and that it will keep you out of the Kingdom of God, unless sincerely repented of.
B. IDOLATERS
1. The next sin is idolatry, that is, the worshipping of any god other than the living God, Jehovah, the Creator of the universe. At this, most people breathe a sigh of relief, “Oh good! There aren’t any idolaters here!”
2. I’m wouldn’t bet on that, for idolatry isn’t only the worship of images made of stone or wood —but it’s also the worship of your dear child, or a sport you love, or money that we hoard, or pride in what we have.
3. God says, “You shall have no gods before Me.” Anything we put ahead of God is an idol. Paul talks about people “whose God is their belly,” so I suppose that food can be a god too. And idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God.
C. ADULTERERS
1. About adulterers, whom the apostle mentions next, I don’t need to say much. This also is a terrible plague on our country. We can write it off as not serious, but God says the crime of adultery will keep you out of heaven.
2. Heaven is for the purified. Don’t think unforgiven people will go traipsing in at will. The angels stand guard with drawn swords, to prevent willful sinners from entering God’s Heaven.
D. SEXUAL DEVIANCY
1. Next Paul mentions a couple of terms identifying sexual deviancy. In the beginning God made them male and female, to bear and raise children to together. We need both a father and a mother to help us reach maturity with a healthy balance. That’s God’s plan. God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
2. When people deviate from God’s plan, God says it’s a perversion. God rained down fire from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 as an explicit warning that this is a grievous sin.
E. THIEVES
1. Next to these great sinners, Paul mentions “thieves.” This term isn’t limited to bank robbers or home invaders, but those who steal little things – another kid’s toy or something that doesn’t belong to them. It can mean cheating your customer.
2. HUMOR
a. Sometimes being close isn’t good enough. Like Bill, who ordered a cord of firewood to be delivered for $100.
b. When the firewood was delivered, Bill got upset. “That’s not a full cord of wood,” Bill objected. “That’s what I call a cord,” the man answered firmly.
c. Bill fished around in his pocket and thrust some bills into the man’s hand. “Hey wait a minute,” the woodsman complained after counting the money. “You only gave me $70!’
d. Bill shrugged his shoulders & replied, “That’s what I call $100!”
F. COVETOUS
1. Next, the apostle says, “nor covetous.” It’s strange that almost nobody thinks they’re “greedy.” We prefer the term “skinflint,” “thrifty,” “stingy,” “penny-pinching,” “tight-wad,” etc., but it all boils down to being greedy.
2. We need to pray for generosity to help us loosen our grasp to share with the poor, help the Church of God operate, and reach the lost!
3. Money is a trust to see if we’ll obey God; it’s not just for ourselves and it’s significant that this sin is put on the same list with fornicators and adulterers. Beware allowing greed to possess you!
G. NOR DRUNKARDS
1. “Nor drunkards,” says the apostle. Alcohol/ drugs are the devil’s backdoor to hell and everything that’s
hellish. Alcohol and drugs make the user an addict who will commit crimes, while intoxicated, that they would never do when sober. They’re under the control of the drug/ alcohol. God wants us to be “teetotalers.”
2. Isn’t it a joy to think of some here who were drunkards but who’ve been washed and purified? They’ve renounced that ditch of debauchery and are brands plucked out of the fire!
H. SLANDERERS
1. After the drunkards, the apostle says, “nor slanderers”—those who gossip and pull other people’s characters apart and also those who curse and swear. Such “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
2. The Book of Revelations 21:8 adds lying, “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
I. EXTORTIONERS
1. And then to close the black list, the apostle writes, “nor extortioners.” The NIV says “swindlers.” This refers to people who prey upon the poor while they pretend that they’re trying to help them.
2. This also could be investors -- who invest in marijuana farms, beer companies, or gambling establishments – they benefit off of the ignorance and sinfulness of others. Others are ripped-off so they can grow rich.
3. Of all these people, the apostle says, that they “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” This is God’s Word. None of these will enter Christ’s glorious kingdom unless they repent and turn to the Lord in sorrow and genuine faith.
II. IT’S A REMINDER OF WHAT WE USED TO BE
A. SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU
1. “And such were SOME of you.” Paul didn’t say, “such were ALL of you.” I thank God many of us were kept from falling into such sins.
2. This is an encouragement to young people – you don’t have to fall into these sins; God desires to keep you from them! Jude 24 says, “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy!”
3. Yet, it’s a great glory to God that He has taken some of these people, who had formerly committed such crimes and evils, and made Christians of them!
4. As I look out at this crowd, I too can say, “such WERE some of you.” Some of you are saying to yourselves, “Thank God, the Lord saved ME by His grace from a terrible place!”
5. Isn’t it amazing that God is pleased to save some of the worst of sinners? First, it illustrates the great power of the Gospel. If nobody were saved except the best sort of people, then the unbelievers would say, “Your religion can’t save people like us!” But when they see people who sinned far worse than themselves converted – it rocks their world.
B. ILLUSTRATION: ROSARIO
1. I heard about a woman in a South American country whose name is “Rosario.” She was a hardened criminal. She bragged on the robberies and murders she had committed.
2. But while in prison she was saved. She became as bold a witness for Jesus as she had been an agent for the devil before.
3. When she was released, she went back to the terrible places of the ghetto she had lived in before. Her witness was so powerful that she won a substantial number of people to Christ.
4. She founded 5 churches and an orphanage of 1,000 children. What a testimony of grace!
C. GRACE GREATER THAN ALL OUR SIN
1. So this is a lesson for us: we will never be beyond the reach of God’s grace! You’ll never be so-big-a-sinner that God can’t save you. In fact, God’s grace is greater than all our sin!
2. However depraved or fallen you may be, God loves you and wants you to turn to Him. Why? So you can tell others. An old saying among game preservers, is that an old poacher makes the best game keeper, for he knows all the ways of poachers.
3. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance.” If you claim you don’t have any sin, then you can’t be saved. Jesus ONLY came for sinners!
III. THE MARVELOUS CHANGE
A. ONLY GOD CAN WORK THIS MIRACLE
Oh, if I could only express what a remarkable change God can make in you! It can only happen by a work of the Holy Spirit; nothing happens until He works the great miracle in you. 1,000s of the worst addicts and criminals have been transformed by the love and forgiveness of God.
B. JON PONDER STORY
1. Growing up in New York with no father in his life and five siblings, Jon found his identity in gangs, drug addiction and crime. “I got my first set of handcuffs at 12 years old.”
2. He was later convicted of robbing a bank and was sentenced to 23 years of prison. In prison he kept getting into fights with inmates and was locked up in solitary confinement.
3. A chaplain gave him a Bible, which he through on the floor. Jon flipped through the Bible he’d left on the floor days earlier and found the same passage. “Something just grabbed ahold of me, and I started reading my Bible and I could not put it down.”
4. Jon was allowed to have a radio that could only get a Christian station. He fell asleep listening to music and when he woke up, it was the voice of Billy Graham preaching on the Prodigal Son.
5. At the end, Graham said, “If you haven’t made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, He wants to come into your life.” “I stood in that prison cell and surrendered my life to Jesus and I’ve never looked back.”
6. He was transformed. He started the prison ministry, Hope For Prisoners. His sentence was commuted to 5 years. He got married, had kids, and was pardoned by Donald Trump!
C. HOW IT HAPPENS
1. When you cling to Christ – the POWER that is in Him comes into you. The PURE NATURE of Christ comes into you. The LIBERTY & freedom of Christ come into you. His blood washes away all your sins. You don’t have to do anything yourself but trust in Jesus, surrender your life to Him, and cling to Him. His Spirit and power will do the transforming!
2. Trust in Christ to make you to ...hate sin...to overcome every bad habit...to do what is right...to cause you to stand fast even till you get to heaven.
3. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life”—not saved some time in the future, but saved NOW, on the spot.
CONCLUSION
A. PRAYER
1. “Lord, at least some of the sins Paul listed apply to me. I come to confess my sins and to repent/turn from my sin. Please wash me in Your blood and wash my sins away. Put Your Holy Spirit inside me and change me into a new person. I cling to You as my Savior and Lord. Help me to obey Your commands from now on, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
B. THE LORD’S SUPPER
[This is a rewrite of Charles Spurgeon’s sermon, “A Marvelous Change”]
