DON’T LOSE YOUR ASSIGNMENT!
I Corinthians 7:17-24
S: God’s Call
C: Being content in God’s Call
Th: Live the Difference
Pr: We are live contented in our calling.
?: Where?
KW: Circumstances
TS: We will find in our study of I Corinthians 7:17-24 three circumstances in which we are to find contentment.
The _____ circumstance is…
I. Marital Position (1-16)
II. Racial Position (17-19)
III. Social Position (20-24)
PA:
· Be content in your calling.
· Be content in how God made you.
· Use what God has given you and where He has placed you.
Version: ESV
RMBC 30 May 04 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever noticed that some people are never content?
ILL Notebook: Satisfaction (cold hash browns)
John was working as a short-order cook at two restaurants in the same neighborhood. On a Saturday night, he was finishing up the dinner shift at one restaurant and hurrying to report to work at the second place, but he was delayed because one table kept sending back an order of hash browns, insisting they were cold. He replaced them several times, but still the customers were dissatisfied.
When John was finally able to leave, he raced out the door and arrived at his second job. A server immediately handed him his first order.
"Make sure these hash browns are hot," she said, "because these people just left a restaurant down the street that kept serving them cold ones."
Well, some people just never are satisfied.
But you know, I like to think that I am like the apostle Paul.
He said that whatever state he was in, he was content.
And I would like to say that I, too, have learned to be content in any state I’m in – whether it is New Jersey, Pennsylvania or New York.
Seriously, though, we have all come across people that just are not happy.
They are controlled by envy – everybody always has it better than them.
Or they are possessed by an uncontrolled ambition – to be better than everybody else.
Or perhaps they have a critical and complaining spirit – according to their experience, there is always something wrong that someone should do better.
TRANSITION:
But, you know…
1. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we live differently.
We do not live lives characterized by envy, ambition and a spirit that is critical and complaining.
Rather, we are to be different.
We are to be content and satisfied.
Two weeks ago, we discussed a specific area where the believer must be different.
The area is purity.
You see…
2. We live differently when it comes to purity.
We do not live according to the popular musical title of “Anything Goes.”
For the believer, it is not anything goes.
Rather we live a life that is characterized by holiness.
And when it comes to our sexuality, specifically, we are to follow the advice from Randy Alcorn’s book, The Purity Principle, where it says…
“Purity is always smart; and impurity is always stupid.”
We do not give in to the philosophy of the world that rejects God’s design.
For purity is safe.
Impurity is risky.
Purity always helps us.
Impurity always hurts us.
You see..
3. Because the Lord Jesus has invested in us, we have a high calling (6:19-20).
Remember Paul’s words…
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
We have been bought with a price.
This means that we must use our bodies, not for our own benefit, but for the high calling of Christ.
We have responsibilities that can and will make an eternal difference in others.
So, we cannot become so self-absorbed in our own thinking and desires that we miss what God has for us.
Instead…
4. WE ARE TO LIVE CONTENTED IN OUR CALLING.
Sometimes this is very hard for us.
You see, we want our own way.
We want to do what we want to do.
We want to become what we want to become.
God, however, often has different ideas about what we should be and what we should be becoming.
This is where we must be willing to accept the situation in which God has placed us.
This being so…
5. We will find in our study of I Corinthians 7:1-24 three circumstances in which we are to find contentment.
The reason the issue of contentment is discussed in this letter to the Corinthian church is this fellowship of believers had misinterpreted and abused the Christian concept of freedom.
Their new found freedom in Christ was misinterpreted to mean freedom to do as they pleased.
What they missed was that this freedom was not given them in order to satisfy themselves, but rather, it was the freedom to do as God pleased.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first circumstance is MARITAL POSITION (1-16).
This first circumstance is a review from last week’s message.
So, if you were here last week, it might sound repetitious.
Nevertheless, to appreciate this week’s text, we must see how the two texts work together.
So, let us consider these four situations that we studied.
Paul is giving answer to those in the church that wanted to change their marital status now that they had become believers in the Lord Jesus.
There were some that were married that now wanted to be single in order to be a better Christian.
In the same way, there were some singles that were very anxious to be married in order to be a better Christian.
And then, there were also those that were married to an unsaved spouse.
They thought it would be better to divorce and begin again in marriage to a saved spouse.
To all these circumstances, Paul has the same advice.
His instruction to them was to stay as they are.
So he says…
1. If you are married, enjoy it (5).
Paul wanted them to know that sexual expression is fully allowed, expected and appropriate within the marriage relationship.
Sexual intimacy in marriage is proper and sacred.
It is where it belongs.
So, when he said…
Do not deprive one another…
…he was saying that they didn’t need fear becoming unholy.
God has designed sexuality.
He has called it good.
And it is to be expressed within the marital relationship.
And it is to be only expressed within the marital relationship.
The second situation was…
2. If you are gifted to be single, don’t seek marriage (8).
Paul says…
…it is good for them to remain single as I am.
Not everyone can remain single, but if God has especially gifted you to be so, don’t get married.
Marriage will not make you more holy.
Instead, it is an opportunity to serve the Lord with a whole heart, without the added responsibilities of a spouse and/or family.
The third situation was…
3. If you are separated from a believing spouse, seek reconciliation (10-11).
Paul says…
…the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.
If for any reason a believing couple had separated, or even divorced, Paul wants them to know that they are not on the market for a new spouse.
They have a covenantal partner.
They have a spouse to whom they have made vows.
Thus, they are to fulfill them, and seek reconciliation.
The fourth situation was…
4. If you are married to an unbeliever, don’t separate (12).
Paul says…
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
There were some in the church that had apparently separated from their unbelieving spouse.
They had feared that they may be displeasing God by being partnered with someone that did not believe in Jesus.
But Paul says, no…you should stay.
It is an opportunity to live out the gospel at home, and perhaps, the partner will also become a believer in Jesus.
In summary, Paul’s advice is consistent.
His instruction is that regardless of our circumstances, we are to practice contentment.
We are to stay in our God-ordained relationships.
In no way are we to abandon them or destroy them.
Instead, we are to use every situation as an opportunity to glorify God.
Now we come to…
II. The second circumstance is RACIAL POSITION (17-19).
ILL Notebook: Racial (Norwegian jokes)
There was this Lutheran minister who served a predominately German congregation for years. Pastor Heinz enjoyed telling Norwegian jokes from the pulpit, much to the delight of his flock.
One year, Heinz was transferred to a predominately Norwegian congregation and the first Sunday, he told a typical joke from the pulpit. After the service a deacon approached and said that perhaps he should reconsider his choice of humor as some of the people may be offended. Pastor Heinz apologized, saying he would break this habit.
One day, while reading his Bible, Heinz came across a story of the Amalekites and had an idea. He approached the Deacon and asked if he could tell an Amalekite joke.
The Deacon said "I suppose that would be okay, I don’t think we have any Amalekites in the congregation."
Next Sunday, Pastor Heinz was getting into his sermon and said, "This reminds me of a funny story, seems there were these 2 Amalekites, Sven and Ole..."
It is hard to get these racial things, right isn’t it?
Well, Paul also has to deal with it as well…
(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.
Do you ever wish you were different than you were?
You know, I wish I had not been born to bunch of short people.
Growing up, my favorite sport was basketball.
But it doesn’t take great powers of observation to understand that my greatest joys when it comes to basketball, are pick-up games.
Now, I had been born to the preferred height of 6’5”, as opposed to 5’5”, our conversation might be different this morning.
But Paul has a message for each one of us this morning that is not quite satisfied with how we are born.
It is this…
1. The Lord is intricately involved in our lives.
If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus today, you have received the greatest honor that a human being can possess.
It is that God has called you to be one of His.
As believers, we are called.
We are called to be in a relationship with the Lord Jesus.
And if we are in fellowship with Jesus, then we are also called to fulfill the responsibilities of this relationship.
We are called to make disciples!
We are given the opportunity to participate in changing the world through spiritual regeneration.
We have a message that changes people and the world.
This is great stuff.
But do you know what happens to us Christians?
We fail to appreciate what God has given us to accomplish it.
In fact, we often complain about our circumstances.
We would prefer something else.
We wish we were like someone else.
This is the same thinking we find in the context of the Corinthian church…
2. Context: Circumcision was confusing people about who was in or out.
You may remember, circumcision is the physical distinction that was placed on the Jewish male that marked him as a faithful follower of the Lord God.
It made him physically different than the Gentile male, and thus a member of the covenant people.
Culturally, at this time, there were some interesting things going on.
There were some Jewish men who wanted to be accepted into Greek society, so they had surgery performed to make themselves appear uncircumcised when they bathed or exercised at the gymnasiums.
Alongside of this, there were some Gentiles that were being told that if they wanted to truly arrive as God’s people, they had to be circumcised.
They couldn’t just settle for believing in Jesus.
They also had to become like a Jew.
So, the church had a lot of confusion when it came to this issue.
There were Jews that wanted to be like the Gentiles.
There were Gentiles that felt they ought to become like the Jews.
To this, Paul states that they are missing the issue.
It is not an issue of race.
For circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.
There is no spiritual significance for either state, for these types of distinctions were now obsolete.
Being a Jew or a Gentile did not matter.
What matters is being “in Christ.”
In our church fellowship here, we have people from multiple backgrounds.
We have people from Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Pakistan, Nigeria, Lithuania, Germany, Great Britain, and Haiti (and if I missed your country, I apologize).
Have you ever wondered why you were born in one place over another?
Scripture tells us that God forms us before we are born.
Behind each individual person is the creative work of God.
He knows who we are, where we are going to be born, and what we are like.
So realize this today.
Recognize that God has made you – physically and emotionally.
He has been personally involved in your personality (and with some of you, He has been especially creative).
Everything that you are, God has been involved, so that you could properly live out His call on your life.
You see…
3. The priority for the Christian is not external, but internal.
What this statement means is that there is one proper response to grace.
It is not a matter of what one looks like, or where one is born.
It is a matter of will that starts on the inside.
It is wrapped up in obedience.
ILL Notebook: Obedience (stop or slow down)
A policeman pulled over a car, walked up to the driver’s window, and asked the man if he knew why he was pulled over.
"No," the man replied.
"You failed to stop at the stop sign," the policeman explained.
"But I did slow down!" the guy argued.
The policeman shook his head. "You are required to stop. That’s why they’re called stop signs."
The man started to get belligerent. "Stop, slow down -- what’s the difference?"
The cop pulled out his baton. "I can show you. I’m going to start hitting you with my baton. You tell me if you want me to stop or slow down."
Well, perhaps obedience is important, after all.
For the Christian, obedience is the true mark of faithfulness.
For obedience demonstrates the reality of the inward change that takes place in us as a result of being a temple of the Holy Spirit.
The externals are not important.
It is not your race.
It is not whether you have a tattoo or not.
It is not the style, length, or the amount of hair you have.
It is not the external.
What truly matters is a heart bent on serving the Lord Jesus.
So be content in how God has made and designed you.
Now we come to…
III. The third circumstance is SOCIAL POSITION (20-24).
(20) Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. (21) Were you a slave 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 slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. (23) You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. (24) So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
Have you ever wished you were born into a family that had just a little more station or money?
Have you ever felt that if you had just been born into circumstances that were a little better, you could really have made something of yourself?
Well…
1. We are to gratefully receive our position in life.
Where God has put us is exactly where we need to be.
We need to sanctify the place where God has placed us.
We are to make a difference, a holy difference, in every situation we are placed.
This means that there is no circumstance that keeps us from being a Christian.
No matter how terrible…
No matter how unjust…
No matter how painful…
No circumstance keeps us from showing the difference the Holy Spirit makes in us.
Which brings us to the…
2. Context: Being freed from slavery was not the priority.
When we come to the context of slavery, it is difficult for us to understand.
It is a culture that we find reprehensible.
And what we find even stranger, perhaps, is Paul’s exhortation to those that were slaves.
His advice was…
“Don’t let it trouble you!”
“Don’t seek your way out of it!”
But in Paul’s thinking, a slave had a unique opportunity to testify to the difference the Lord Jesus makes in a life.
By living the difference and working hard and honestly, they would show their human masters the way to true contentment and peace.
The potential power of the gospel was enormous in this situation.
Now, Paul wasn’t stiff on this subject.
He does say that if the opportunity came to be free, a slave was to take it as a change offered by the Lord.
For we understand by the way Paul states things in the letter to Philemon that owning humans fundamentally contradicts a person’s position in Christ.
But Paul also understands that every difficult situation is not going to be changed.
And because this is true, we are to keep our priorities clear.
If we are to lead any kind of revolution, it is to be a spiritual one, not a cultural one.
In fact, what is interesting, the test of history has shown us that when Christians are faithful to Scripture, slavery does not flourish.
When the gospel is believed and obeyed, there are wonderful by-products – better government, better societies, and better families.
Paul further explains this concept by returning to the concept of giving attention to the inner being.
He wants both the slave and the free person to have perspective.
For the person who is a slave is now free.
And, the person who is free is now Christ’s slave.
So, whether a slave or a free person, your outlook was going to change once you became a believer in the Lord Jesus.
Alongside of this, we discover that it is much better to be a slave on the outside and free on the inside than free on the outside and a slave on the inside.
To be free in Christ is truly a great thing.
For our freedom in Christ is not to sin, but from sin.
Our freedom is not in doing our own will, but the freedom to do His will.
So, it is at this point, Paul tells is that…
3. We are not to let the world shape us.
We are not to become slaves to the ways of men.
For we belong to God.
We have been bought, and this fact should cause us to rejoice.
And because we belong to Him, we can be confident that God is behind every twist and turn of life.
APPLICATION:
You see…
1. With God, there are no accidents.
ILL Notebook: Calling (Simon Birch)
Simon Birch (a movie based on the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving) is the story of a 12-year-old boy named Simon Birch who, despite his physical handicaps, believes God has a plan for his life. Simon was born tiny and with an abnormally small heart. He was expected to die within the first 24 hours of his life. He surprises everyone, though, when he lives to be an adolescent.
A disappointment to his parents and the target of many childhood pranks because of his miniature size and odd-sounding voice, Simon has every reason to question his self-worth and purpose for living. But he embraces his condition and believes that God will use him in a unique, possibly even heroic, way.
Joe, Simon’s best friend, doesn’t believe in God, and he is not the only one who doubts that God has a plan for Simon. His schoolmates mock him relentlessly, believing his assertions are one more indication of his strangeness. On one occasion his Sunday school teacher hurriedly tries to hush him so he won’t "frighten" the other children with his musings.
The small town’s forlorn minister also doubts that God could have a plan for small Simon Birch. In a poignant conversation between Simon and the minister, Simon Simon asks, "Does God have a plan for us?"
The minister hesitantly replies, "I like to think he does."
Simon enthusiastically says, "Me, too. I think God made me the way I am for a reason."
The minister coolly states, "I’m glad that, um, that your faith, uh, helps you deal with your, um, you know, your condition."
"That’s not what I mean," Simon states. "I think I’m God’s instrument. He’s going to use me to carry out his plan."
Dumbfounded by Simon’s confidence, the pastor says, "It’s wonderful to have faith, son, but let’s not overdo it." With that he waves for Simon to leave, shakes his head in disbelief, and whispers with an air of cynicism, "God’s instrument."
A short time later Simon is riding with his classmates in a school bus traveling down an icy road. Suddenly the bus driver veers to avoid a deer, loses control, and the bus plunges into an icy lake. Everyone in the front of the upright bus quickly evacuates out the door, but Simon and a handful of other students in the back of the bus are trapped as the bus begins to sink.
Simon takes charge. He opens a window and commands his classmates to climb out. Last of all, Simon escapes through the window.
In the hospital following the accident, Joe assures Simon that all the kids are all right. Simon asks, "Did you see how the children listened to me because of the way I looked?"
Joe, with tears in his eyes, replies, "Yeah."
With satisfaction, Simon says, "That window was just my size."
"Extra small," Joe utters with a smile.
A few seconds later, Simon dies, knowing that God used him. But what Simon doesn’t know before he dies is that because of his unwavering faith, his friend Joe now believes in God.
Some 20 years later, standing at Simon’s gravestone, Joe says,
“I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice, not because of his voice or because he was the smallest person I ever met… but because he is the reason I believe in God. What faith I have, I owe to Simon Birch… it is Simon who made me a believer.”
So…are you a believer?
For…
2. What characterizes you has been arranged, appointed and assigned by God.
So don’t lose your assignment!
Let God sanctify your situation and be content…whether it be a mixed marriage, singleness, work, socioeconomic condition, or even a physical disability or chronic illness.
Use what God has given you for His glory.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Be content…be content in how God has made you, for you are especially designed – outwardly and inwardly.
Be content…be content in where God has placed you, for you have an assignment, a call to be used for the glory of God – what a privilege it is – what a delight it is!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
RESOURCES:
Blomberg, Craig, The NIV Application Commentary
Fee, Gordon, The New International Commentary on the New Testament
MacArthur, John, I Corinthians
Sermoncentral.com
Your Job as Ministry, John Piper
Bloom Where You Are, Ken Trivett
Overcoming Discontentment, Ray Pritchard
Answers on Divorce, Ray Stedman
