Live In Such A Way That No One Will Stumble Because Of You.

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Live in such a way that no one will stumble because of you.

1 Corinthians 8:8-13 (NLT)
8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

Examine the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 8:8-13 (NLT)
8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

 Food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat certain foods, and no better if we do eat certain foods.

  • Our relationship with God is not determined by what we eat.

 9 But  

 you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 

Freedom to eat or drink something does not mean it’s always appropriate to do so.

What we eat, or don’t eat, may have a negative impact on others.

 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”   (spiritual maturity)

Or perceived “superior knowledge”.

We imitate the behaviors of those we perceive as spiritually mature.

 Teacher-student

Parent-child

Mature Christian – new Christian

Tell the story of how I determine how high I will lift my hands during a worship service. (This may be more tongue in cheek than not.)

 —eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 

 The weaker believer is simply imitating your behavior, but they are not doing something they believe is o.k. to do.

They are feeling guilty.

They have difficulty knowing right from wrong.

Learning to compromise.

Confusion is setting in.

 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 

  • It is wrong to do something if it makes another person stumble.

Romans 14:15 (NLT)
And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.

Spiritual growth devastated 

Distressed.

Ruined

Conscience is seared. 

Not able to distinguish right from wrong.

Fall back into old sins.

Set up for failure.

 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ.  

  • It is a sin to encourage others to do something they believe is wrong. 

13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

2 Corinthians 6:3 (NLT)
We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, … 

  • Live your life in such a way that no one will stumble because of

How should we live?

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

1 Corinthians 10:31-32 (NIV)
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 

  •  Decide how you will live based on what brings glory to God.

 

 

Rejoice In The Lord Always

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Rejoice In The Lord Always

Genesis 21:1-7 (NLT)

The Birth of Isaac
1 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.  All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 21:1-7 (NLT)
The Birth of Isaac
1 The Lord kept his word

What “word” did the Lord keep in this story?

When did God first make this promise to Abraham?

This promise to Abraham dates back 25 years.

Genesis 12 (NLT)
The Call of Abram
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan.

 and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.  

  • God does not lie.

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
19 God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

 2 She became pregnant,

Sarah had been barren for 90 years.

Genesis 11:27-30 (NLT)

The Family of Terah
27 This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

 and she gave birth to a son (Sarah’s one and only child) for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 

Humanly speaking, this was impossible.

Review promises God had made to Abraham:

Promise general in nature

Genesis 12 (see above)

Genesis 13:14-17  (NLT)
14 After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. 15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. 16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! 17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”

 Genesis 15:5 (NLT)
5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Promise specific in nature

Genesis 17:16-21 (NLT)
16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”

 Genesis 18:10-14 (NLT)
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 

Obedience

Genesis 17:19  (NLT)
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac,[a] and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

 Footnotes:
a. 17:19 Isaac means “he laughs.”   (rejoice)

4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 

Obedience

Genesis 17:11-14 (NLT)
11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. 14 Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”

 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

 God’s promise fulfilled.

 6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.  

God has brought me Isaac.

Unbelief changed to rejoicing

All who hear about this will laugh with me. 

Rejoice with me.

We rejoice because God makes and keeps promises.

Romans 12:15 (NLT)
Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

 Philippians 4:4-8 (NLT)
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

  •  Rejoice in the Lord always.

7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”

  • Nothing is too hard for God.

Jeremiah 32:27 (NLT)
“I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT)
 “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

 Job 42:2  (NLT)
 “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.

Matthew 19:26 (NLT)
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Luke 18:27 (NLT)
He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

John 10:18 (NLT)
No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

2 Timothy 1:10 (NLT)
And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

  • Remember that God makes promises and keeps His promises.

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

Hebrews 6:18 (NLT)
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

Don’t Assume That Your Christian Friends Are Biblically Grounded

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Don’t assume that your Christian friends are Biblically grounded.

1 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)
7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)
7 However, not all believers know this.

 (The truth about idols.)

  •  Don’t assume that your Christian friends are Biblically grounded.

WHY?  Why don’t they know the truth?

Some are accustomed to thinking (incorrectly)

through former association with idols (ESV)

Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god (NIV)

being accustomed [throughout their lives] to [thinking of] (AMP)

because they were used to idol worship until now (CEB)

 

Accustomed to thinking

Thinking what?

What are we  being exposed to?

Who is shaping our thinking?

 Acts 20:30 (NLT)
Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

2 Peter 2:1 (NLT)
But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies

Matthew 24:11 (NLT)
And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

Matthew 24:24 (NLT)
For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

 Colossians 2:8 (NLT)
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

  •  We are constantly being exposed to false teachers who teach in a way that makes it hard for us to see that they are wrong.

 We think incorrectly because we are being taught wrong ideas.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (NLT)
33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” 

 34 Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.

 Luke 6:40 (NLT)
Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

 We have multiple teachers including parents, school teachers, Sunday School teachers, pastors, the Holy Spirit, etc.  

    • Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world.
    • Bad company corrupts good character.

We think incorrectly because we are influenced by those who don’t know any better.

  • Think carefully about what is right.
  • The student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

Be like the Bereans

Acts 17:11 (NLT)
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

 Study the scriptures daily.

  • It is important to study the scriptures daily.

of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. (guilty, ashamed)

Conscience:

An inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.

Our conscience is not the Holy Spirit.

We are able to adjust our consciences to fit the culture.

Find a penny.  Keep it, it’s only a penny.

Find a nickel.  Keep it, it’s only a nickel.

Find a dime.  Keep it, it’s only a dime.

Find a quarter. Keep it, it’s only a quarter.

Find a dollar.  Keep it, it’s only a

  • Our consciences can, and do, mislead us.

 Our consciences are not always consistent with Biblical principles.

The Story Of A Philistine King Behaving Better Than A Man Chosen By God.

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The story of a Philistine King behaving better than a man chosen by God.

Back to Abraham – Trust and Obey

Genesis 20 (NLT)
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
1 Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, 2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.
3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”
6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! 10 Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ 12 And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.13 When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”
14 Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. 15 Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. 18 For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

 Examine the Scriptures

Trust and Obey

Genesis 20 (NLT)
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
1 Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar.

Back to Abraham’s travels.  (see map)

Gerar: A Philistine city on the border between the Promised Land and Egypt.??

While living there as a foreigner, 

 2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

 Sinfulness and lack of faith

God had promised Abraham a son through Sarah.

Same sin in chapter 12 (Pharaoh in Egypt)

Isaac will do the same thing in chapter 26

  • In this lesson, Abraham demonstrated a lifestyle of sinfulness and a lack of faith. (a lack of trust)

Our challenge:

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NLT)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

 Not only was Abraham sinning, but he was also setting Abimelech up for failure.  He was setting the stage for Abimelech to commit a “great sin” (see verse 9).

Matthew 18:7 (NIV)
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

  • Abraham was setting the stage for Abimelech to commit a “great sin”.
  • Our sins may be setting others up for failure.

3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him,

 In Genesis, dreams often bring divine revelation.

God intervened.

“You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”

Exodus 20:14 (NLT)
“You must not commit adultery.

Leviticus 20:10 (NLT)
“If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.

  • God intervened in Abraham’s life to preserve the promise he had previously made to Abraham.

Genesis 17:19 (NLT)
But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 

 In chapter 18 Abraham had prayed for the righteous to be spared.

Abimelech’s pray is much the same.

5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”

 Abimelech respectfully presented his case to God.

  • There are times when it is appropriate to respectfully present our case to God.

 6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. 

  •  God is in control.

God protected Sarah.

7 Now return the woman to her husband,

 Repent

Change your behavior.

Turn from wrong.

 and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet.

A prophet – One who is divinely inspired to communicate God’s will to others.

God’s spokesman

One who intercedes for others.

Spoke to God on behalf of Abimelech.

  • God used a sinful man to minister to others.

 Then you will live.

 Forgiveness

 But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

Abraham is a prophet.

If / then

Abraham spoke to God on behalf of Abimelech and Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham.

8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. 

Abimelech’s men feared God.

 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! 10 Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”

 Abimelech rebukes Abraham.

  • A heathen king rightly rebuked a prophet of God.

“Great sin.”

“No one should ever do what you have done!”

Abimelech understood immorality.

 11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ 

             Abraham’s response

“I thought”

I thought this is a godless place.

I thought I would be killed.

I thought since Sarah was my half-sister, it was O.K. to lie.

Abraham did not fear God.

Abraham did not trust God.

Abraham misjudged the people Gerar. (They did fear God.)

12 And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.13 When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”

A partial truth.

Premeditated

Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

  •  Our thoughts are nothing like God’s thoughts, which makes it dangerous for us to act on our thoughts rather than trust God’s ways.

14 Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. 15 Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”

Abimelech was both repentant and generous while

Abraham was deceptive.

Abimelech felt a need to make restitution for his actions.

 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. 18 For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

Far-reaching consequences for sin.  (literally death)

Verse 7 …But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

Again, this is an example of how God was clearly in control.

  • The sins of one or two individuals can impact the lives of many other people.

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NLT)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors.

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Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors.

Eating Meat Offered To Idols Is Not The Focus Of This Lesson.

1 Corinthians 8:1-6 (NLT)
Food Sacrificed to Idols
1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.

Examine the scriptures:

Eating Meat Offered To Idols Is Not The Focus Of This Lesson.

We need to “Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors”.

1 Corinthians 8:1-6 (NLT)
Food Sacrificed to Idols
1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols.

 Food offered to idols.

Only parts of animals were used in sacrifices to pagan gods.  Much of the animal could still be eaten.

This food was sold in the marketplace.

The question is, is it o.k. to buy this meat that is being sold in the marketplace.

Paul says it is o.k. to eat meat offered to idols, but …

Romans 14:20 (NLT)
Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:9-10 (says the same)

 Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue.

             “We all have knowledge.” (See verse 4)

We all know a lot of Biblical principles.

However, not all believers know this. (Verse 7)

  • Not all believers are at the same place in their understanding of Biblical truths.

 But while knowledge makes us feel important,

 This “knowledge” puffs up, (ESV & NIV)

 It’s good to know Biblical truths but we need to be careful how we handle this knowledge.

We dare not “lord” our knowledge over others.

1 Peter 5:2-3 (NLT)
2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

it is love that strengthens the church. 

  •  It is love that strengthens the church.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NLT)
Love Is the Greatest
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

  • Without love, we are nothing.

 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 

 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

  •  Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.

Proverbs 26:12 (NLT)
There is more hope for fools
than for people who think they are wise.

We need to be constantly fed by the scriptures.

John 15:4-5 (NLT)
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.

 Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22, Mark 12 (similar passages)

Matthew 22:34-40 (NLT)
The Most Important Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

  • You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.’

Philippians 2:4 (NLT)
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:3 (NLT)
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

  • It is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.
  • It is wrong to do something if it makes another person stumble.

 4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 

  •  We all know that an idol is not really a god.

An idol is not a god.

Psalm 115:4-8 (NLT)
4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
5 They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
6 They have ears but cannot hear,
and noses but cannot smell.
7 They have hands but cannot feel,
and feet but cannot walk,
and throats but cannot make a sound.
8 And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.

  •  An idol isn’t much of anything, therefore eating food offered to idols was, in itself, inconsequential.

 6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.

Deuteronomy 4:35 (NLT)
“He showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39 (NLT)
“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

 Deuteronomy 6:4 (NLT)
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.

Isaiah 44:6 (NLT)
This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.

Jeremiah 10:10 (NLT)
10 But the Lord is the only true God.
He is the living God and the everlasting King!

John 17:3 (NLT)
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

  • We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

A Surprise Ending

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Will This Lesson Have A Predictable Ending Or A Surprise Ending

Genesis 19:30-38 (NLT)
Lot and His Daughters
30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”
33 So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
36 As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 19:30-38 (NLT)
Lot and His Daughters
30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 

Remember Lot’s earlier request.

Genesis 19:19-22 (NLT)
19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

Deuteronomy 6:18 (NLT)
Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. 

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  

  • God’s way is always best.
  • Remember God’s promises.

God’s promises for His chosen people.  God’s plans for those of us who have been adopted into His family.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Exodus 19:5 (NLT)
Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.

  • God’s plans for us are plans for good and not for disaster, to give us a future and a hope.

Lot’s daughters missed all of the above.

31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”

Note:

Biblical character reference for Lot.

2 Peter 2:7-9 (NLT)
7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.

 The daughters’ goal was to preserve their family line.

Their plan worked!  BUT!!

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

  • Seek God’s will in everything you do.

33 So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

Sodom and Gomorrah’s immoral philosophy had a corrupting influence on Lot’s daughters.

  • Society has a strong influence on our thoughts and actions.

Back to Sodom – repeating Lots mistakes.

The two following passages were used in a previous lesson about Lot.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (NLT)
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

 Proverbs 4:14-15-19 (NLT)
14 Don’t do as the wicked do,
and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
Turn away and keep moving.
                                     …
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

 Two very real kingdoms.

  • We live in two very real kingdoms: The Kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.

Colossians 1:13(NLT)
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

Exodus 23:2 (NLT)
“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong.

Proverbs 4:14 (NLT)
Don’t do as the wicked do,
and don’t follow the path of evildoers.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT)
Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

  •  We are influenced by the company we keep.

36 As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 

The Israelites were forbidden to molest the Moabites.

38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

 The Israelites were forbidden to molest the Ammonites

Predictable outcomes.

  • Choices have consequences.

Exodus 34:7 (NLT)
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Deuteronomy 5:9 (NLT)
You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

The Moabites and Ammonites were Israel’s longstanding enemies.

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 (NLT)
3 “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. 4 These nations did not welcome you with food and water when you came out of Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam son of Be-or from Pe-thor in distant Ar-am-nah-ar-aim to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you. 6 As long as you live, you must never promote the welfare and prosperity of the Ammonites or Moabites.

The surprise ending

Ruth 1:4  (NLT)
The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth.

Luke 3:23 (NLT)
The Ancestors of Jesus
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.
Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Heli.

Luke 3:32 (NLT)
David was the son of Jesse.
Jesse was the son of Obed.
Obed was the son of Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Salmon.
Salmon was the son of Nahshon.

 Lot’s daughters were ancestors of Jesus.

Don’t Look Back 

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Genesis 19:15-29 (NLT)
15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”
16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. 17 When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. 19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)
23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.24 Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.
27 Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. 28 He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.
29 But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 19:15-29 (NLT)
15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”

 Not as literal, but just as important.

Amos 5:14-15 (NLT)
14 Do what is good and run from evil
so that you may live!
Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper,
just as you have claimed.
15 Hate evil and love what is good;
turn your courts into true halls of justice.
Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies
will have mercy on the remnant of his people.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

  • Do what is good and run from evil.
  • Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world.

Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction.

16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. 

  •  God is merciful.

Mercy

Withholding disserved punishment. (to be correctly punished for your mistakes or bad behavior)

“Mercy and grace are often confused. While the terms have similar meanings, grace and mercy are not the same. To summarize the difference: mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.”

Psalm 91:14 (NLT)
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.

  • God will rescue those who love Him.

Psalm 55:16  (NLT)
But I will call on God,
and the Lord will rescue me.

17 When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

Don’t look back.

Philippians 3:13 (NLT)
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

 Don’t be controlled by your past.                                                  

Luke 9:62 (NLT)
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

 Isaiah 43:18-19 New International Version (NIV)
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. 

  • Forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead.

18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. 19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”

Compromise

21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 

More mercy

22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

Lingering, halting, and being dragged to safety.

Lot is not being a role model.

23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.24 Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10  (NLT)
6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Romans 2:6-10  (NLT)
6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.

Galatians 6:7  (NLT)
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

  • You cannot mock the justice of God without receiving a consequence.

26 But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.

             Unable to give up her past.

Matthew 10:39 (NLT)
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

  • Those who try to keep the life they have will lose it.

 27 Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. 28 He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.

 29 But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.

James 5:16 (NLT)
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

  • The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Where is your focus?  What are your priorities? 

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Where is your focus?  What are your priorities?

Review

  • Scripture clearly endorses marriage.
  • God’s original intent was for marriage to be a permanent relationship between a man and his wife.

Today’s passage was given “Because of this present crisis”.

Instructions intended for a time of crisis may be of less significance when the crisis has passed.

As we move through this passage we will find numerous Biblical principles that can and should be applied in our lives, even if we are not in a “crisis mode”.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 (NLT)
25 Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.
29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

Examine the scriptures:

Review

  • Scripture clearly endorses marriage.
  • God’s original intent was for marriage to be a permanent relationship between a man and his wife.

The teaching in this passage is being shared because of a present crisis.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 (NLT)
25 Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married.

 I do not have a command from the Lord for them.

             Reminder:

1 Corinthians 7:12
 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord.

Don’t misinterpret this statement.

 All Scripture is inspired by God

 Jesus had not spoken about this situation.

No previous revelations from God on this matter.

  •  All scripture is inspired by God

But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 

 James 1:5 (NLT)
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he (God) will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

 1 Corinthians 7:40 (later in this passage)
…I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

 1 Corinthians 2:10 & 13 (NLT)
10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets

 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.  

  • If you need wisdom, ask God, and He will give it to you.

 26 Because of the present crisis,  

No specific present crisis is mentioned in scripture.

1 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT) (This does not appear to be a time of crisis.)
You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you.

 

Impending crisis (ESV footnote)  (1 Corinthians was written some time close to 55 A.D.)
Impending distress (AMP)
Imminent Roman persecutions (within ten years after this epistle)

In general- conditions less than ideal for marriage

NOTE: Paul’s teaching here in this passage on marriage is based on some crisis or persecution Paul believed the Christians were experiencing or were likely to experience in the near future.

I think it is best to remain as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 

The principle of contentment.  (Last lesson)

1 Corinthians 7:17 (NLT)
Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

  •  Live contentedly in whatever economic, social, and religious station God has placed you.

 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin.

 However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.

  • Being married can be more complicated than being single.

 29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

James 4:14 (NLT)
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

 Romans 13:11 (NLT)
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

  •  A person’s life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
  •  Make the most of every opportunity.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NLT)
15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Colossians 4:5 (NLT)
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

John 9:4 (NLT)
We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.

 Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.

Mark 13:32-33 (NLT)
32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

 So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

Colossians 3:2 (NLT)
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

 Our citizenship is in heaven.
Philippians 3:20 (NLT)
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

 Where is your focus?  What are your priorities?

  •  Focus on the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

 Philippians 3:14 (NLT)
 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

  • Focus on reaching the end of the race and receiving the heavenly prize for which God has called you.
  • Focus on Jesus’ return (Luke 12:35-40)

32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 

Ephesians 5:10 (NLT)
Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

 Romans 12:1 New Living Translation (NLT)
A Living Sacrifice to God
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

  •  Focus on pleasing the Lord.

 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

 36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.

 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

 Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

  • Keep your eyes on Jesus.

 

The Principle of Contentment

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Remain as you were when God first called you.

The principle of contentment.

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NLT)
17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. 18 For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. 19 For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.
20 Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.21 Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 24 Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

Examine the scriptures:

We have been looking at instructions dealing with specific behaviors in the Corinthian Church.

Disputes within the church.

Sexual immorality.

Principles for marriage.

Today we will be looking at the principle of contentment.

Remain as you were when God first called you.

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NLT)
17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you.

 Verse 17 …remain as you were when God first called you.

Verse 20  … each of you should remain as you were when God called you

Verse 24  Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

 The principle of contentment.  (Being satisfied with your station in life)

  • Live contentedly in whatever economic, social, and religious station God has placed you.

Content if you are single or content if you are married.

Content whatever your circumstances.

Paul practiced this principle:

Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

 Contentment is a good thing.

1 Timothy 6:6 (NLT)
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

 Conversion is a radical change to a person’s relationship with God but it does not need to change physical relationships (that are not immoral).

Live contentedly in whatever economic, social, and religious station God has placed you.

Know what is important.

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
… For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.

 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

  •  God’s grace is all you need.

Paul’s first example.

 This is my rule for all the churches. 18 For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it.

Paul addresses circumcision, a religious practice.

 And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. 19 For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.

Romans 2:25-29 (NLT)
25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.
28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

 Paul’s second example.

 20 Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.21 Are you a slave?

Paul addresses slavery, a social (economic, social, or vocational) issue.

 Don’t let that worry you—

 Galatians 3:28  (NLT)
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

  • It doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free.  It doesn’t matter if you are a male or a female.  It doesn’t matter if you are married or single.  All Christians are one in Christ Jesus.

 but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 

  •  Contentment does not mean that you do not try to better yourself.
  • Contentment does not mean being lazy.

Philippians 3:14 (NLT)
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)
10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Know who you are in Christ.

22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.  

 John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

 Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

  •  Christians are a permanent part of God’s family.

 23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 

  •  Christians in all stations of life should realize that their ultimate allegiance is to Christ.

Ephesians 6:5-8 (NLT)
Slaves and Masters
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

 Every vocation becomes Christian service performed for the Lord.

 24 Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you. 

Contentment.   A final thought.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Principles For Marriage

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Introduction:

The Bible is the source of all truth.

The truth that comes from God and His word is infallible, irrefutable, and indisputable. When we believe that the Bible is the very word of God, we need to take heed and do our best to live our lives according to the Bible.
(This could be the introduction to all of our lessons.)

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (NLT)
10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (NLT)
10 But for those who are married,

 A message to the married.

 I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. 

 Some Corinthians may have thought:

Divorce their unsaved spouse
Live celibately
Marry a believer

 A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him,

 let her remain single

or else be reconciled to him.

 And the husband must not leave his wife.

Don’t leave your spouse.

Jesus speaking
 Matthew 19:5-8 (NLT)
5 And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
7 “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

Malachi 2:16 (NLT)
 “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

Jesus speaking
Matthew 5:31-32 (NLT)
Teaching about Divorce
31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

  •  God’s original intent was for marriage to be a permanent relationship between a man and his wife.

12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord.

Don’t misinterpret this statement.

 All Scripture is inspired by God

 Jesus had not spoken on this situation.

No previous revelations from God on this matter.

  If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.

  13 And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 

  •  Believers married to unbelievers who are willing to continue in the relationship must remain married.

Some believers may have felt that being marries to an unbeliever was somehow defiling.

*However, just the opposite was true.

 14 For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage.

 The two have become one flesh.

Within the “one flesh” relationship, the blessing of God which came to the Christian affected the family as a whole.

The Christian was a channel of God’s grace in the marriage.

Brings holiness – not salvation to a person who is “not a believer.

The partner is set apart for temporal blessings because the other partner belongs to God.

One Christian in a marriage brings grace that spills over on the spouse – even possibly leading him or her to salvation.

Romans 11:16 (NLT)
And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

  • If a marriage has one believing spouse, the believing spouse brings holiness to the marriage.

 Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

Set apart – separate – holy people – called to a holy lifestyle

Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The children are holy, not saved.

The presence of one believing parent exposes the children to blessing and brings them protection.  The presence of even one Christian parent will protect children from undue spiritual harm and they will receive many blessings, and often that includes salvation.

 Verse 16 before verse 15

 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 

  • If a husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving the marriage, the believing partner should let them go.

Romans 12:18 (NLT)
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

 (Remarriage is not addressed here.)