Adapted from a Michael Luke sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?

SermonID=87651

ESV

The apostle Paul asks the Corinthian church to take a look at everything they’re saying and

doing and then evaluate it based on whether it brings glory to God or dishonors God.

The Christians in Corinth had damaged their witness and testimony to that area because of

the divisions and immorality in their midst.

Throughout the entire letter, Paul is asking the Christians at Corinth to do one important thing: Stop thinking about pleasing yourselves and

concentrate on pleasing God.

Paul is simply reminding the Christians at Corinth of a basic scriptural principle.

ESV

ESV

ESV

Paul cites three areas in which we need to remember to glorify God

An Amish farmer and his son were traveling in their horse and buggy down a lane only wide enough for one vehicle to pass through at a

time.They met a car coming from the other way.There was no room to pass for two miles in

either direction.

The motorist was in a hurry and started beeping his horn.

The Amish man waited until there was silence.He jumped down off the buggy, rolled up his

sleeves, and said, “If you don’t back up, I won’t like what I’m going to have to do.”

The surprised motorist put his car in reverse and backed up two miles, allowing the Amish

man and buggy to pass.

The Amish man’s son asked, “Father, what was it you would not like to have done back

there?”

The Amish man said, “Back this buggy up two miles.”

Disputes and conflicts between the Christians at Corinth had gotten so bad that they were

suing each other in civil court.

Paul wants to know why those who are supposed to be godly are going to the ungodly

for justice

He wants to know: Isn’t there one believer who’s capable of making even simple

judgments?

Where are those who are supposed to be spiritually mature and your leaders?

The U.S. has become a “lawsuit-happy” nation.

There are 1,300,705 lawyers in the United States. (Source: American Bar Association, 2015

National Lawyer Population Survey)

Annual cost to the US economy for civil lawsuits: $239,000,000,000

(http://www.statisticbrain.com/civil-lawsuit-statistics/)

Paul points out three distinct tragedies in this situation:

The Christians were presenting a poor testimony to the lost.

If we can’t even get along with ourselves, how can we expect others to want to join us?

If there is no difference in what happens in the church and what happens in the world, it’s not

a church.It’s just a social club.

The Christians had failed to live up to their full position in Christ.

Paul asks a very bold question: “Since we as saints will one day take part in the judgment of

the world and of the fallen angels, why can’t we settle our differences here on earth?”

As we’ll see in just a short while during our study of , the Christians at

Corinth boasted about their great spiritual gifts.Paul is asking why they don’t use some of these great gifts to solve their problems?

They had disgraced themselves through their disobedience to the Word of God.

Paul pointedly says:

African proverb: “When bull elephants fight, the grass always loses.”

The Corinthian Christians had a very high and esteemed view of themselves.

In vss. , he quickly reminds them of their condition before coming to Christ:

What a fine pedigree to be proud of!

Paul emphatically states that these kinds of unrepentant people will never ever

.

Contrary to what some people believe and teach, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven while still trying to live these same lifestyles.

But the gist of Paul’s message is not the negative but the positive.

Jesus washes away all sin and gives new life.

The blood of Jesus is able to take out any kind of sin stain.

Get your laundry detergent to do that!

I agree with the old preacher who said,“I ain’t what I wanna be;

I ain’t what I’m gonna be;but thank God,

I ain’t what I usta be.”

Because Jesus has washed away those sins, we’re no longer under the bondage of sin. We

have found liberty and freedom.

In , Paul warns these Corinthian Christians not to abuse this liberty we have in

Christ –

While those that say, “Everything is permissible for me” are correct in that

observation, Paul says that everything is not necessarily beneficial.

I’m free to do anything I want.But the real question is:What do I want to do?

Is what I want to do detrimental to my relationship with Christ and my testimony to

others?

Or will what I want to do enhance my relationship with Christ and my testimony to

others?

Paul says, “.”

I’m sure that Paul is thinking back to Jesus’ words: “No one can serve two masters.”

He’s asking, “If no one can serve two masters, why do I want to get involved in something that

if I continually do it, can control my life?I’ve already submitted myself to Jesus as my Master and I don’t need any other master.”

The last section of glorifying God in our liberties naturally leads to glorifying God with

our bodies.

Literally, Paul says, “Because God has done so much for us, we have an obligation to serve

him with our bodies.”

The Corinthians used a saying to justify their immorality: “

.”

Paul quickly reminds them that God created the food and the stomach and will eventually

destroy both.

The Corinthians weren’t talking about food or stomachs.

They were referring to sexual immorality.They treated sex as an appetite to be satisfied

instead of a gift to be cherished.

Warren Wiersbe: “Just because we have certain normal desires given to us at Creation, does not mean that we must always give in to

them and always satisfy them.”

Sexual relations outside of marriage is destructive, while proper sexual relations

within marriage is beautiful and enhances the marriage.

Someone said: “Sex outside of marriage is like robbing a bank – you get something but it’s not

yours and someday you will pay for it.”

Sex within marriage is like someone putting money into a bank: there is safety and security

and the investment will bring dividends.

Paul points out the overarching principle in this entire issue is:

As Christians, we do not belong to ourselves.We belong to Christ.

If we belong to Christ, we are joined to His body.

How can we take part of Christ’s body and unite it with someone who is not part of

Christ’s body?

When you have sexual relations with someone, Paul says consider these things.Sexual relations makes you “one” in body.”Paul quotes from – “

”

That uniting process will affect you the rest of your life.

When you pull away from it, it’s going to tear that “one flesh” and it will hurt not just in the

physical sense but emotionally and spiritually as well.

It’s why we’re warned in vs. – “”

If we belong to Christ, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Old Testament tabernacle/temple housed the Holy of Holies – the dwelling place of God

on earth.

In the Gospels, Jesus’ body was the dwelling place of God on earth.

After Christ ascended to heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Therefore we are the Holy Spirit’s temple – His dwelling place.

Paul is saying, “Don’t use the dwelling place of God on this earth for cheap and tawdry

things.”

If we belong to Christ, our bodies do not belong to us.

We’ve been bought at a very expensive price –Jesus’ blood.

The Bible’s very clear that we could not provide a way to cleanse ourselves from our

sin.Only the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross

could pay our sin debt in full. Therefore, what we do with our bodies should not be our

decision.It should be the decision of the owner – Jesus

Christ.

Have you ever noticed that when the Powerball Lottery reaches a high amount,

everything hits a fever pitch?

Record numbers of lottery tickets get sold.

People in states that don’t participate in the Powerball flock to stores at state lines just to

get tickets.

What if you found out that a large amount of money was designated for you?

All you had to do was just ask for it and then claim it?

Would you say, “I don’t know if all of that money is for me or not.”

How about, “Well, I’m kind of busy.One of these days, I’ll get around to claiming

it.”

Would you say, “What if that story isn’t real?”

I think almost all of us would at least check it out and most of us would run right over just to

pick up the money.

Yet the riches of Christ are all ours.

Jesus paid the price so that we could share in His riches.

He simply asks that you ask for them and then claim them.

David Brainerd was a missionary to the American Indians in colonial America.

In a conversation with colonial preacher Jonathan Edwards, Brainerd said, “I do not go to heaven to be advanced but to give honor to

God.

It is no matter where I shall be stationed in heaven, whether I have a high or low seat

there, but to live and please and glorify God.... My heaven is to please God and glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted

to His glory.”